Broken Bits of Glass - Rewrite
by booknookgurl
Summary: Sebastian can be described as many things including egotistical and manipulative. Sebastian wasn't always this way though, believe it or not he wasn't always Sebastian Smythe either. He used to be Chris Stewart. Quiet, friendly, naive Chris Stewart. Then, during his sixteenth year Chris' world crashed down around him. This is the story of how it all began, and how it all ended.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N 1- Hello all! Ash here with my newest story here on the net. Hopefully I'll actually finish this one. Before we start I'd like to say that there**_**will**_**be spoilers for the Lifetime movie A**_**Mother's Nightmare**_**in later chapters. I would also like to say that while I said that this was a Glee/AMN/CSI: Miami crossover fic there will be hardly any CSI things in here besides the fact that Chris/Scott/Sebastian has a twin brother named Trent. (And that they were separated at birth) I would like to thank my lovely beta smythestilinski over on tumblr for beta-ing the first three chapters because she is amazing. I think that is all so enjoy!**

***edit* This is a slightly re-written version of the chapter but the plot has stayed the same. Although smythestilinski isn't beta-ing this fic anymore she gets credit for editing this chapter and all the chapters she did edit. **

Bits of Broken Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Full Plot: _Sebastian Smythe can be described as many things. Attractive, talented, egotistical, and manipulative. People all over the Westerville/Lima area know who he is. The Dalton Warbler with a bad attitude, the boy who sleeps around at Scandals, and, to many, a guy you don't want to get involved wasn't always this way though, believe it or not he wasn't always Sebastian Smythe either. He used to be Chris Stewart. Quiet, friendly, naive Chris Stewart. One half of a set of twins separated at birth. Then, during his sixteenth year Chris's world crashed down around him. Chris created the character of Sebastian Smythe to fix the broken pieces of his life and create a wall around his heart. This is the story of how it all began, and how it all ended._

Rated: T

Warnings: mentions of domestic abuse.

Chris and Trent met in a typical Hollywood twins-separated-at-birth way, by bumping into each other at the grocery store. The day started off like any other Saturday for Chris; he got up for soccer practice and afterwards was dragged grocery shopping by his parents. Chris hated going for groceries, having to wander through aisle after aisle while his parents compared prices of cans and boxes was pointless. Couldn't they just leave him at home to play video games or something? This Saturday shopping trip was no different than the others. Chris trudged slowly behind his parents' cart, unhappily staring at the brightly colored boxes, bags, and cans lining the walls. Chris's dad seemed to sense that his son was getting bored and restless because as they passed the magazine and book section of the store, he leaned down and whispered "Go on, we'll swing back around this way before we check out." Chris smiled up at his dad before hurrying down to the Books & Magazines aisle in the entertainment section.

To be honest Chris loved books. He loved reading about dragons, wizards, and magic. Reading wasn't cool though, boys didn't read, so Chris kept his love for books hidden. As he neared the children's section, Chris glanced around for classmates and friends. There was no need to be cautious though, since Chris knew that most of his friends went out to eat with their families after soccer practice. Plus the only other person in the aisle with him was another boy. He looked to be about Chris's age, with short hair and his nose buried in MAD magazine. Although the boy looked vaguely familiar, Chris didn't recognize him from school. After studying the boy for a moment or two, just to make sure that he wasn't a classmate, Chris turned his attention to the books. Quickly he scanned the shelves for familiar looking covers. His eyes soon rested on the highest shelf where the next book in the _Dragon Slayer's Academy_ series sat. The top shelf was far above Chris's seven year old head but he really wanted that book. His mom had promised to get it for him if he saw it anywhere and there it was, sitting above him. He was going to have to climb the shelf. Chris knew it was a stupid idea as soon as he thought of it but he really wanted to get the book and to have the satisfaction of picking it up off the shelf and putting it in his parents' shopping cart.

Carefully Chris began to climb by placing a foot on the lowest shelf to give himself a boost up. Shakily, he let go with one hand and grabbed the book. Chris didn't realize he was slipping until it was too late. He felt himself falling for a second before landing on the cold floor with an audible thud, closing his eyes for a moment as he heard a set of feet run towards him. "You okay?" a voice asked. "Yeah." Chris replied, mentally checking himself for damage. "Need help?" the voice asked. Chris nodded and opened his eyes as an extended hand came into his field of vision. Chris took the hand, standing up and after making sure he hadn't done anything to his ankles, Chris looked up at the person who had helped him and froze. Standing in front of him was him.

Well, it wasn't _him_, it was the boy Chris had seen earlier but now he realized why the boy had looked so familiar. Looking at the boy was like looking in a mirror. "Whoa," the other boy said as he too noticed the similarities between him and Chris. "Whoa is right." Chris said, almost completely speechless. The other boy shifted his position slightly so they were now standing face to face in almost the exact same position. The similarities between the two were obvious. While Chris noticed that he was more muscular and had longer hair than the other boy, they shared the same eyes, nose, ears, and face shape.

The boys stared at each other for a few moments, scanning each other from head to toe. Finally Chris found his words and asked, "Who are you?" The other boy looked up at Chris and said in Chris's voice, "I'm Trent. Who are you?" Chris straightened up a bit, feeling threatened by the other boy, Trent. "I'm Chris." he said. The two boys continued to stare at each other for a while longer before Trent looked down at the ground and said, "You made a mess." Chris looked down at the ground, surprised to find a handful of books lying scattered on the floor. "What were you trying to get?" Trent asked when Chris didn't reply. "Dragon Slayer's Academy," Chris said, holding up the book that was still grasped in his hand. "I love that series." Trent exclaimed, his face lighting up. Chris smiled back at the boy and replied, "So do I!"

The two began to talk about the series as they picked up the scattered books and re-shelved them. After they finished picking up the books the two continued to talk, soon moving from books, to music, to TV shows, to sports. Chris learned that Trent had many of the same interests as him; liking books, shows, and movies about dragons and wizards, and loving sports, especially soccer and basketball. "Have you read the Harry Potter series?" Trent asked excitedly as they passed a book shelf and sat down in the two chairs set up in the aisle. Chris shook his head; he'd heard a lot about the series but hadn't yet read them. "You have to! They're the best! You would love them I'm sure of it!" Trent insisted. Chris laughed at the other boy's enthusiasm and shrugged. "I guess I'll give it a try." He said, making Trent smile.

His face fell though for a second though, and Chris recognized the look on Trent's face as a look of deep concentration. He waited in silence as Trent worked out what he was thinking, using this time to think about what had happened. It was scary how similar he and Trent were and as Chris continued to think, his mind kept going back to the same thought. The Parent Trap. What if he and Trent were twins separated at birth? Trent must have been thinking the same thing because he soon broke the silence by asking, "When's your birthday?" If it had been anyone else, Chris would have found this question odd but he had actually been wondering the same thing about Trent.

"June 14th, 1995." He said cautiously, watching Trent for a reaction. The other boy's eyes widened as Chris spoke. "That's my birthday too!" he said excitedly. "This is insane, but, what if we're twins?" Chris laughed out loud at this, only slightly surprised that the other boy had been thinking the same thing has him. "I'm being serious!" Trent said hurriedly, hurt obvious on his face. "I know," Chris said, still smiling, "I was wondering the same thing. It would make sense if we were twins." The two boys smiled at each other before beginning to make theories about how they'd been separated, which parents were really theirs, and how their parents would react to finding out that their children knew. "My mom's coming over now. We can tell her first." Trent said as he looked past Chris. Chris turned around and saw a lady with dark brown hair pushing a shopping cart down the aisle towards the two boys' location. "You ready bro?" He asked Trent with a smile. Trent nodded before motioning for Chris to stay where he was.

Chris nodded and watched as Trent stood up and walked over to his mom. They spoke briefly and Chris guessed that Trent had told his mother about him because her face suddenly paled and she glanced over at him in shock. After saying something to Trent his mother parked the cart on the side of the aisle and dragged Trent back over to where Chris was sitting. "Hello Chris," she said with a warm smile. "I'm Mrs. Burton, Trent's mom. Where are your parents?" Chris scrunched his nose, wasn't it obvious where they were? "They're shopping." He said matter-of-factly. Mrs. Burton laughed quietly and nodded. "Yes, I know that, but do you know where in the store they are?" Chris shook his head before adding "They said they'd come back once they were done." Mrs. Burton nodded and smiled, this time sadly, at Chris. "Is it okay if Trent and I wait for them with you?" Chris nodded, suddenly not sure about the idea of telling his parents that he had found his twin. The way Mrs. Burton was acting was not how he had expected her to react. Chris had expected her to be happy and, while she was smiling at him, it seemed as if there was something else there, fear or anger. Maybe both.

There was silence as Mrs. Burton lead Trent and Chris back to the chairs they had been sitting in and sat down with them. Chris looked up and down the aisle for his parents but couldn't yet see them. He wondered how they would react to his news. "Are we really twins?" He asked Mrs. Burton who pursued her lips and sighed before saying, "I think that's something you'll have to talk to your parents about." Chris nodded before looking over at Trent who looked shocked and a bit confused. The three remained silent until they heard the sound of a grocery cart making its way down the aisle. Chris turned his head to see his parents walking towards them and stood up. "Mom, Dad, there's someone here who wants to talk to you," he said. His parents gave him a worried look before looking past him at Mrs. Burton and Trent. Chris's dad's face reflected confusion while his mother's face flashed recognition and then anger.

"Hello Amy." She said coolly as she stepped past Chris and towards Mrs. Burton. "Mrs. Stewart." Mrs. Burton replied curtly. Chris was surprised by how icy and cold both women sounded, and wondered how they knew each other. Mrs. Stewart glanced over at Trent before looking back at Mrs. Burton, anger obvious on her face. "You have a lot of explaining to do," she said. Mrs. Burton nodded, shame evident in her posture and face. "I am aware of that, but not here, not right now." She pulled out a sticky note pad and a pen and began writing on it. "Here's my number, call it when you get the chance." Mrs. Stewart nodded, taking the paper and glancing at it before putting it in her purse. "I will," she said before turning to Chris. "Come on honey," she called out. "We have to go check out." Chris nodded and glanced over at Trent who shrugged and looked from his mother to Chris's mother as if to say 'I have no idea.' Chris shrugged back and smiled at the other boy before turning to his mother and asking, "Will I see Trent again?" He knew asking was a mistake as soon as the question was out of his mouth because his mom's lips pursed in the way that she did when his dad came home drunk. "We'll see." She replied before walking back to the cart and briskly walking away. "Bye!" He called out to Trent before following his parents out of the aisle and to the check out.

Chris pestered his parents about Trent and Mrs. Burton all the way home. "Why does he look like me? Are we really twins? How come you never told me about him?" He asked, wanting to know why his parents had been keeping such a wonderful secret from him. "Will you stop, Chris, please?" His father finally asked, his voice sounding tired. Chris knew that voice. It was the one reserved for times when Chris had done something really bad like sticking large wads of chewing gum in Sally McDonald's hair. After he was told to be quiet Chris sat silently, staring out the window at the passing houses and cars, wondering about Trent. When they finally arrived home, Chris was sent to his room while his parents put away the groceries. Even from his room in the basement Chris could hear his parents shouting at each other. He couldn't hear all of what was being said but he could make out snippets such as "never knew", "should've told us", and "how could you?"

Dinner that night was quiet and strained, Mrs. Stewart looked like she'd been crying and Mr. Stewart remained silent and distant. Chris didn't dare ask them about Trent or what had happened at the store. As soon as dinner was over, Mr. Stewart grabbed a beer and sat down in the living room. Chris glanced at his mom as his dad sat down, seeing the fear and anger in her eyes. Whenever Chris's dad drank, he drank. It wasn't just a couple bottles. He would say it was just a couple but then two would become three which would become four which would become five. He was a nasty drunk too, hitting and screaming at whatever or whoever was in his path.

"Let's go into the study okay?" Mrs. Stewart asked her son when she caught him glancing over at her. Chris nodded and followed his mom into their home office. "You want to know about Trent don't you?" his mom asked as she sat down in the desk chair. Chris nodded, sitting in the recliner across from the desk. "Okay," Mrs. Stewart started with a sigh. "Your father and I… We wanted a kid. We wanted a child so badly and we tried everything to have one, but no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't have a baby. Do you understand so far?" Chris nodded even though he didn't understand. How could they have not been able to have a kid if Chris, their kid, was sitting there as living proof? "Eventually we gave up and we… we hired a donor. Do you know what that is?" Chris nodded his head. "It's someone who gives you their livers if yours don't work," Chris said. Mrs. Stewart smiled and nodded. "Well, yes and no. Donors do that but some donors also give their babies."

Chris was silent after his mother said this. "You mean… you mean you're not my mom?" he asked, suddenly angry. How could she have not told him that he wasn't really her son? How could she have kept this from him? How could his parents have kept the secret that he wasn't theirs? "No! No, Chris, you're still out son, just not by birth. Remember Peggy's daughter?" Chris nodded, not sure what Emma had to do with the conversation. "Well her mom isn't her birth mom but she's still her mother right?" Chris nodded. "Her mom flew a long way and filled out lots of papers to get her." He said, remembering what Emma had told him. Mrs. Stewart laughed softly and nodded, "Yes, she did but she's still her mom right?" Chris nodded. "So you're still my mom?" he asked. Mrs. Stewart nodded and opened her arms, offering up a hug to her son. Chris got up out of his chair and approached his mom. "Of course I'm still your mom. That will never change."

"What about Trent then?" Chris asked, pulling out of the hug. "Ah, yes. Well, I think what happened was that Mrs. Burton, Trent's mom, had both you and Trent but since we only asked for one child she kept the other." Anger flashed in Mrs. Stewart's eyes as she spoke and Chris hugged her again. "There's no need to be angry mom. Just think, now I have a twin brother. How many people can say they were separated at birth? It'll make for a great story." Mrs. Stewart relaxed a bit and laughed. "Oh, Chris." She said softly. "Always cheering me up. I'm not angry, not really. I just wish Mrs. Burton had told us about Trent instead of keeping him a secret."

Chris and his mom spoke briefly about what being a donor was, including Mrs. Stewart telling her son that people only had one liver, that there was no 'livers' as he had said before. After they spoke the two went back into the main living area and cleaned up after Mr. Stewart who was no longer in the main rooms. Soon it was bed time and as always, Mrs. Stewart tucked Chris into bed with a kiss and a smile saying, "I love you more than the moon," before turning out the lights and closing the door behind her.

After his mom left, Chris lay awake thinking about the events of the day. He had liked Trent when they'd met and wouldn't mind becoming friends with his twin. After thinking for what seemed like hours, Chris heard his parents' bedroom door bang shut. He closed his eyes and wished that he could fall asleep immediately. He knew what was coming next and he didn't like it. Sure enough, not five minutes after leaving his room, Mr. Stewart began yelling. Chris put his pillow over his ears but he could still hear the shouting upstairs. He fell asleep listening to his parents fighting over him and wondering if the yelling would ever stop.

**A/N 2- And here ends the first chapter of Bits of Broken Glass! I hope you all liked it. (If you did don't forget to click on the review button!) I should have another chapter up soon (although I'm not too sure when) and until then favorite, follow, and review! XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N 1- Ash here with part two of Broken Bits of Glass! First I have to say that yes, I do know that Trent has Wilson's in CSI but I have some things planned that would make cancer work better. Now that's over with I'd like to thank everyone who read the previous chapter and who are currently reading over this note in the hopes that it will end soon. Before I do end though I would once again like to thank smythestilinski****over on tumblr for beta-ing. Now sit back and enjoy chapter two!**

Bits of Broken Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Warnings: mentions of domestic abuse.

The next day, Sunday, Mrs. Stewart called Trent's mother and arranged to talk with her the next day while both boys were in school. From what Chris heard in later years, the meeting was a long one involving raised voices and tears but in the end, both mothers agreed that their sons should remain friends. Years passed after that weekend and Trent became a constant presence in Chris's life. Apart from his friends, Matt and Cam, Trent was the person Chris talked to and confided in the most. As they got older, Chris began to realize how different his and Trent's lives were. Trent lived in the less wealthy area of the next town over, his mom barely making ends meet at times while Chris lived in Fairview Heights, not having to worry about money or having food on the table. Trent was more experienced streetwise while Chris was more educated in books and academics. Despite these differences though, Chris and Trent remained close, hanging out whenever it was possible and calling each other when they couldn't speak face to face. Trent was there for Chris's games and track meets and Chris was there for Trent's many doctors' appointments and hospital visits.

Chris always considered himself the weaker twin. Trent was always the stronger one. Both boys were at high risk for Hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer, but Trent was the twin to actually get it. He was diagnosed two years after he and Chris met and continued to fight it for years after. It was a long and hard fight but throughout the whole treatment Trent remained optimistic about getting better and part of Chris was jealous of his brother's strength, his ability to smile despite all the crap that was being pumped into his veins. Chris told his brother this once and Trent had laughed sadly. "I'm not really that strong, Chris," he'd said. At the time Chris hadn't believed Trent, not really.

Elementary and middle school flew by in a mess of hospital visits, sports events, and long school days. By the time the twins were ready for high school, no one could tell that they hadn't known each other for the first seven years of their lives. Sometimes even they forgot that they hadn't met until second grade, but one boy would mention a memory that they didn't share and it would become obvious that they hadn't grown up together. Memories weren't the only things that the boys didn't share though. As they grew older, it became obvious that Trent would be the quieter twin while Chris would be loud and talkative. Their music tastes were different too; Chris preferred the older stuff like Buddy Holly and Elvis while Trent preferred more modern music like Maroon 5 and Green Day.

The one type of music that the boys both loved was, surprisingly, Indie. Trent was the one who discovered it, introduced to it by a girl at the hospital, and he showed it to his brother. At eleven, both boys were in inspired to take up instruments, determined to start a band. Chris took up piano and Trent guitar. They both practiced and practiced and practiced, learning scales, chords, and songs. It was during this time that Chris realized that he actually enjoyed music and had a decent singing voice. "You're going to be our lead singer," Trent said one day as he strummed his guitar. Chris had smiled and shook his head, "Nah, I'm not really that good." Trent laughed and shook his head, "You've got a voice, don't waste it." To this, Chris smiled and shrugged, pushing the comment into the back of his mind.

High school arrived quicker than anyone expected it to, resulting in Chris and Trent spending less and less time together. Because of where they lived, Chris went to Fairview Heights and Trent went to West Glendale, but despite not seeing each other as much and going to different schools, the two boys maintained their friendship. Weekends became _TrentandChris_ time and even when the boys' circle of friends grew they would always make time for each other. As high school wore on and freshman year became sophomore year, it became clear that, while Trent was the quieter of the two, Chris would be the less popular twin. By Halloween sophomore year Trent had already had four girlfriends while Chris had yet to have one. Sometimes, Chris was jealous of his brother's ability to get girls and one Friday night, technically early Saturday morning, Chris voiced his feelings.

"How the hell do you do it?" He asked as the two lay in the dark. "Do what?" Trent asked and Chris could picture his brother's face twisting in confusion. "Get people, girls, to like you." Trent laughed from across the room before falling silent. "Just be yourself," he said finally, "Don't try to act cool or tough, girls don't like that." "Since when were you the pro?" Chris asked jokingly. Trent laughed and Chris felt a pillow hit his shoulder. "Since I have four times more experience than you." He replied and Chris sighed throwing the pillow back at Trent. "Yeah, yeah." He mutters, wishing he had experience like his brother. Wasn't going on dates part of the whole high school experience? "You'll find someone." Trent said, sensing his brother's distress. "Also you missed my bed by about a foot and half. Your aim sucks."

That night wasn't the last time Chris asked his brother for relationship advice, if he had a girl on his mind he would ask Trent for help. "How do I talk to her? What if I make a fool out of myself?" Most of the time Trent laughed and gave his brother advice but sometimes he would just tell Chris to do what felt right. One day after school, Chris passed by the gym and saw her, the girl that took his breath away. Cheryl Paige. She was amazing, a cheerleader and member of the junior honor society. Cheryl had been one of Chris's crushes since freshman year. Now it was almost summer of the next year and Chris was about to be a junior and Cheryl a senior. Chris was suddenly struck by an idea, he'd get a date with Cheryl somehow.

Chris went to Trent for advice that night, Trent telling him to be himself and to become friends before asking her out. Chris took his brother's advice and began his pursuit. He started by opening doors for her which led to small talk and sitting at her lunch table. "God!" He exclaimed to Cam one day. "She's amazing! She's smart, she's funny, and have you looked at her? She's beautiful." Cam laughed at Chris before giving him a warning. "Slow down man, you're gonna get hurt." Chris shook his head at his friend. He was sure he wouldn't get hurt but Chris had always been a bit clingy, latching on to someone and not letting go. Trent said it was because of his parents' relationship, that seeing the instability of their marriage did something to Chris's mind. Whenever Trent would say that, though, Chris would shake his head and deny it but he knew it was the truth.

Chris's dad had always liked drinking, making up all kinds of excuses for why he should crack open a beer and sit down in front of the TV. He'd turn to the bottle if things went well, even more so if things went wrong and, recently, everything seemed to be going wrong. The problems had actually started when Chris met Trent, the drinking had gotten worse after that weekend. By the time Chris got to high school his dad was drinking almost every night, lashing out if anyone got in his way. Chris watched as his dad would yell at hit things. Walls, shelves, him, sometimes even his mom. Chris watched as his dad destroyed his marriage and the family Chris had grown up with. He hated his dad and hated himself for hating him. He knew what Mr. Stewart was doing was abuse, that he should tell someone but he didn't, he couldn't. Trent was the only person besides him and his mom that knew what was going on and it stayed that way until the last day of freshman year.

It'd been a rough night; Chris's dad had a bad day at work and came home angry. He drank a few beers and then began yelling, blaming Chris's mom for his bad day, for not knowing about Trent, and for raising Chris to be such a social outcast. Chris listened from his room as his father continued to scream at his mom. She didn't deserve this, none of it. Anger rose up inside of Chris and boiled over as he heard skin slapping against skin and his mother cry out in pain. Within seconds Chris was out of his room and in the living room. He couldn't take it anymore, the yelling, the hitting, or the constant out downs. "Stay away from my mom," he growled, throwing a punch at his father. Chris didn't listen as his mother pleaded with him and his father to stop. More punches were thrown by both Chris and his father and, while Chris was strong, his dad was stronger. In the end Chris managed to shove his father out the door but not before he received a split lip and a bloody nose himself.

Chris and his mom watched as Mr. Stewart stumbled down the sidewalk and away from the house. "I'm sorry about your father, I'm so sorry Chris," his mom had said, tears running down her face. "It's okay mom. That's not dad, not really." He replied before silently righting a chair that had been knocked over and then heading back to his room. He lay awake after that, full of anger and sadness. Chris had meant what he said, that drunken man wasn't his dad. His dad was nice and caring not abusive and cruel. The man his dad became was what the alcohol did to him. That didn't stop it from hurting though.

The next day Chris walked into school bruised and tired. His friends had asked what was wrong but Chris shrugged it off jokingly. "You should see the other guy." He'd said, briefly wondering where his dad was. At lunch time Chris sat down with Cheryl and her friends, attempting to avoid Cam's and Matt's pitying and worried looks. "Oh my god, what happened to you?" Cheryl asked when he sat down. "It's nothing" he said before Cheryl grabbed his wrist tightly and leaned close. "Nothing my ass." She hissed. "Who did this to you?" Chris sat for a moment, staring at Cheryl in shock before saying "Just some neighborhood punks." Cheryl seemed content with this answer because she let go of his hand and smiled at him. "They're asses." She said. "Yeah." Chris said with a shaky smile. He didn't dare tell her the real reason for his bruises.

After Chris's so called confession to Cheryl, the two would text constantly. Whenever Chris got tired of Cam and Matt's constant talk of video games and girls, he would pull out his cell phone and text her and by the end of the summer the two had grown pretty close. He'd spent a week at lacrosse camp, and then two separate weeks with Trent at the hospital but the rest of the summer had been split between the boys, Trent, and Cheryl.

Despite their growing closeness, the one thing Chris and Cheryl never seemed to be able to talk about was Chris's father. Whenever the topic was brought up, Chris would change the subject or gloss over things dismissively. The only person he really spoke to about his dad was Trent. Chris went to Trent when his dad came back home after the last day of school "incident", he went to Trent when his dad moved out, and he went to Trent whenever he felt angry at his dad. "I shouldn't be angry at him, he's my dad." He said one night over the phone. "Yeah." Trent said softly, he was in the hospital again and had to keep quiet. "But think of all the crap he put you and your mom through, I'd be pissed if it was me. He's your dad but what he did wasn't right."

Summer faded into fall and school started up again. Football season began and Chris went to practically every game just to see Cheryl cheer. 'One day I'll ask her out.' He would think as he watched her from the stands and one day he finally did. It was one of the final games of the season and it was the cold. Beyond cold. It was snowing for god's sake. Chris, as always, watched the game from the stands, freezing his ass off as he watched Cheryl and the other cheer leaders do their familiar routines. Fairview Heights High won the game and after the final buzzer rang and the team flooded out onto the field Chris stood up, stretched, and checked his phone.

From: Matt

Once the games done gt over 2 Cams. Countersurgence isnt the same with just 2 players.

Chris shook his head at his friend's hurried message and tucked his phone back into his pocket. Swiftly, fighting the cold wind, Chris made his way to the parking lot. He waited as the many people who had attended packed up and left. Chris never left right away, instead choosing to let the rush of people leave before him.

After the main flood of people exited the parking lot Chris made his way to his car. Halfway there, though, he came across Cheryl, standing near her car looking upset. "You okay?" He asked. Cheryl shook her head angrily and looked down at her car. "My stupid car won't start," she groaned. Chris sighed and walked closer to the car, his heart beating faster and faster. "Want me to take a look?" He asked. Cheryl shook her head again and said, "It's too cold; I'll leave it here tonight... Um... Can I get a ride home from you?" Chris stood for a moment, wondering if he'd managed to hit his head and was hallucinating before coming back to Earth and nodding vigorously. "Sure, of course. I was supposed to meet up with Matt and Cam but I can be late. My car's parked this way." He said spinning around to face his car. "Let's go then." Cheryl said with a smile, grabbing his hand and letting him lead her to his car.

Chris remained quiet as the two walked to his car and he unlocked the doors. Outside he tried to look calm and collected but inside he was freaking out. What if he did something wrong? This was his chance to ask Cheryl out. What if he screwed up? Chris continued to panic as he got in the car and started the engine. "What's wrong?" Cheryl asked, obviously sensing that there was something off with him. "I like you," Chris blurted out suddenly, gasping as he realized what he said. It wasn't supposed to come out like that. Cautiously Chris turned to look at Cheryl who stared for a moment before smiling back. "I like you too." She said. "I mean _like_, like-" "Yeah, I like you that way too." Chris smiled at Cheryl and she smiled back before the two leaned in for a kiss. Chris never did meet up with his friends that night.

Chris and Cheryl's relationship lasted for five months. Five months of dates, conversations, and comforting words. In those five months Chris opened up to Cheryl more than he had with anyone else at school. He told her about his dad and mom's inevitable divorce, his brother's sickness, and his life. He went to Cheryl when Trent relapsed again, when he failed a test, and when he just wanted a friend. As the months wore on Cheryl and Chris's relationship began to become strained. They were too different and had too little to talk about. Chris kept trying though, hoping that they'd eventually get through this time of silence. They never did. A little after their five month anniversary, Cheryl told Chris it was over. "We have nothing to talk about," she said. "You're as dull as a rock, and you spend more time with your brother than with your girlfriend." Chris knew he should be angered by what Cheryl was saying, he tried to talk to her but she never replied and Trent was sick for fuck's sake. He couldn't find it in himself to be angry though. He just felt upset and betrayed. He felt as if something was stabbing him in the chest and then nothing. Numbness.

The week after the breakup was torture for Chris. He watched as Cheryl went on with her life as if nothing had happened while he forced his way through each day. Everything seemed pointless without Cheryl. Track practice was useless, school was a waste, and taking to people was boring and time consuming. Chris's mom, brother, and friends watched as he became quieter and more unresponsive. After the week was over and it became obvious that Chris's attitude wouldn't change, Mrs. Stewart pulled her son out of school, claiming mono as the reason for Chris's absence. After two weeks of staying at home and doing nothing but sleeping, reading, and eating, she insisted that he return to school.

Chris hadn't wanted to go back to school, he hadn't wanted to have to face Cheryl or his classmates. The only people who knew the real reason Chris had been out were his mom, Trent, Cam, and Matt but Chris was still worried that people would find out and mock him. On top of that worry, Chris would also have to deal with seeing Cheryl with her new boyfriend, Jake. Jake and Chris had been enemies since grade school, when Chris had come into school declaring that he now had a twin brother. Jake called this claim a lie and convinced the class that Chris was crazy. In retaliation Chris brought Trent on the school trip to the local theme park. Jake hadn't liked Chris since then and had apparently vowed to make Chris's life hell. Chris was sure that Cheryl was dating Jake just to make him jealous but he couldn't do anything about it. He entered school his first day back feeling a sense of dread.

**A/N 2- Here ends chapter two! I hope you all liked it. Those of you who have seen**_**A Mother's Nightmare**___**probably see where in the time line this chapter ended and know that Vanessa is appearing in chapter three. For those of you who have not seen AMN it's fine if you haven't. I'm trying my best to make this so that you will understand even if you haven't seen the movie. (Apparently it's on youtube though so if you want to look it up and watch feel free to!) Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys, long time no see! I've decided to update this fic every Thursday if I can. I'd also like to, as always, thank my wonderful beta****smythestilinski.****The format for this chapter is a bit different than it has been in the past. I usually change it back from the way****smythestilinski has it formatted when she emails me back the corrections but I decided I liked it better this way. **

**XxX Warblers Girl XxX**** – Thank you so much! (I know this review is from chapt. One but here's my reply.)**

**Sygonia – Thanks! I'm trying my hardest to combine all of his characters and I hope I'm doing a decent enough job. **

**Waywarddaughter – Really? No way! You should do something. Maybe we could get an entire fandom thing going. xD **

**Now, I present to you chapter three!**

Broken Bits of Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Warnings: Mentions of death and stalkers (kind of…)

Chris's first day back at Fairview was just as bad as he'd thought it would be. He was behind on school work, he'd missed track practice, and on top of that, Jake and Cheryl seemed to be everywhere. Chris was about ready to leave school and never return by the time the last bell of the day rang. He, Cam, and Matt walked out of the building to meet up with the rest of the track team, complaining about school as they went when Chris spotted her. She was tall, dark haired, and very pretty. She must've been new because Chris had never seen her around school before. She was angry, yelling at Jake for doing something. By the looks of it he'd made her drop her papers on the ground. Even when she was angry she looked amazing. Chris watched as Jake continued to bother the girl and before he knew it he was racing over to help her. After getting Jake to back off and picking up some of the colorful papers, he stood up and got a good look at the girl. She was even prettier up close.

Clumsily, he introduced himself to the girl whose name was Vanessa. He felt his cheeks heat up as she caught him staring at her chest but instead of getting angry she just laughed and said it was no problem. "That's what they're there for right?" She'd said.

Not long after that, Chris offered to give Vanessa a tour of the school after he was done with track practice but her face fell and Chris suddenly felt guilty. "I can always skip practice today." he said, knowing he shouldn't skip but already being pulled in by Vanessa's charm. She smiled at him and his heart swelled. "I'll go change out of these clothes," he said before turning and walking towards the building before turning to address her again. "Stay right here," he said, the loss of focus causing him to trip on the steps. _'Way to go,'_ he thought as he stood up and smiled at Vanessa who laughed.

"I'll stay right here," she teased as Chris continued towards the school building. "I won't move."

"Well you can move but-˝ Chris was cut off when he walked straight into the door. By now he was panicking inside. _'I must look like an idiot,'_he thought to himself before opening the door and bolting inside to the locker rooms. He changed in record time before racing back outside to where Vanessa was waiting. He couldn't believe that she would want to hang out with him. She was the type of girl who could get anyone she wanted and he was... well... _him_.

_'Relax,'_ he thought, _'she may not even like you that way.'_

As Chris showed Vanessa around the school his doubts were pushed to the back of his mind, he was definitely getting the impression that Vanessa was into him. Every time he glanced over at her, she was giving him what Cam would call "bedroom eyes." The more the two talked, the more Chris began to fall for her. She was down to earth, funny, and was able to make Chris feel at ease even if he was acting like a fool.

After Chris was done with the tour of Fairview High's school building and grounds he glanced at his watch and saw that he still had time to kill. "Wanna go get ice cream?" he asked, and Vanessa smiled, nodding enthusiastically.

"Sounds like a plan!" She said before following Chris off of the school grounds and down the road to Lake Xavier. During the summer the lake was a hot spot complete with boardwalk, sand beaches, and a fishing pier the lake was practically empty now, except for a couple brave swimmers and a runner, Chris and Vanessa were alone. As they walked towards the pier the conversation turned to kids at school, namely Jake. Chris explained to Vanessa why they didn't get along and how, despite breaking many rules and laws, Jake got away with anything because his father was a hotshot lawyer.

After finishing his rant about Jake he and Vanessa continued to talk before Chris blurted out "I really like you Vanessa." Vanessa smiled at him before looking down and replying, "But you have a girlfriend?" Chris was shocked, he thought that he'd already told Vanessa he was single. He must have forgotten that at some point. "Nope. I'm girl free," he said in an attempt to clarify before realizing what that could be implying. "Not that I'm gay or anything!" he blurted before realizing what he'd said and trying to correct it. "Not that I have anything against gay guys." He tried, feeling his cheeks grow warm as he spoke. He was embarrassing himself again.

Vanessa didn't seem to care that he was stumbling over his words though, because she laughed and told him to calm down. Surprisingly Chris did calm down before continuing to eat his ice cream. "Hey. What does that taste like?" Vanessa suddenly asked.

Chris was confused by this question but replied anyway. "Like vanilla always tastes like?" he laughed.

"Can I have some?" Vanessa inquired, Chris nodded and offered the cone to her. Vanessa smiled sweetly before wrapping her mouth around the cone, giving a _really_ inappropriate mental image. _'Oh.'_Chris thought as he felt his stomach flip. _'That's why she asked.'_Feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the situation, Chris looked down at his watch. It was already past five thirty. "Crap." He said before looking back up at Vanessa. "I've got to go. Dinner with mom..." he said apologetically. Chris watched as Vanessa's face fell, not wanting to leave but knowing that he had to. Trent and Ms. Burton were coming over for dinner and both them and his mom would kill him for skipping. "I'm sorry." Chris said sadly, hoping Vanessa might understand. Vanessa nodded.

"It's fine." She said, not making eye contact.

"Are you sure?" Chris asked, not wanting to leave Vanessa alone. She just nodded. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," he said, turning to leave the lake.

Trent and his mom were already at the house by the time Chris got home. "Hey!" He said enthusiastically as he walked through the front door and into the kitchen.

"Hey! You seem to be in a better mood." his mom replied with a smile.

"You'll never guess what happened today." Chris said excitedly as he put his bag down on an empty chair and sat down next to Trent. "I met the coolest girl today. She's down to earth, and funny, and amazing." Trent laughed and leaned back in his chair.

"Just be careful okay?" he warned. Chris nodded and smiled over at his twin.

"I'll be fine, I can look after myself," he told him and Trent nodded and ran a hand through his short cropped hair.

"I'm sure you can." he said. "I'm sure you can."

"So, how was your first day back at school?" Ms. Burton finally asked after a short silence.

"It was okay. Long, boring, school, ya know." Chris replied.

"Until that amazing girl came around, right?" Trent teased with a laugh. Chris nodded and shrugged as Trent rolled his eyes and sighed. "Chris and this girl sitting in a tree..." he whispered. Chris laughed and playfully hit his brother's arm.

"Real mature Trent, real mature." He said as the doorbell rang.

"Could you two get that?" Mrs. Stewart asked as she turned on the stove.

"Sure!" Chris stood up, Trent sticking his tongue out at Chris as they made their way to the front door. "And people say you're the mature one." Chris told him with a laugh as he opened the door.

"I'm locked out." A familiar voice said and Chris turned to look at the speaker in surprise as he saw Vanessa standing on his porch.

"Who is it?" Mrs. Stewart asked as she came to the door and stuck her head out.

"How did you know where I live?" Chris asked. Vanessa ignored Chris's question before continuing to explain why she was standing on his porch, saying she'd forgotten her key at home and her parents were working late.

"Hi." She then said to Mrs. Stewart. "I'm Vanessa, Chris's friend. I was wondering if I could stay here until my parents get home."

Chris turned to look at his mom and whispered, "This is the girl I was telling you about." Mrs. Stewart nodded and smiled before stepping back and opening the door.

"Come in Vanessa, we were just about to have dinner." Vanessa thanked Mrs. Stewart before walking into the house where she was greeted by Trent. She glanced from Chris to Trent before smiling at Trent and saying "Hi, I'm Vanessa."

Trent smiled back, although Chris noticed it looked forced and said "I'm Trent." before turning on his heels and walking back into the kitchen.

"He doesn't like me." Vanessa said almost sadly as Trent walked away. Chris shook his head.

"Nah, he's just in a bad mood, his meds do that sometimes." He hoped he sounded convincing because even he wasn't sure what had caused Trent's sudden mood change. Vanessa nodded, seeming to accept this statement, before taking Chris's hand.

"Let's go meet your family." She suggested and Chris led her through the house into the kitchen.

"So how did you know where I live?" Chris asked once again but just like the previous times, Vanessa ignored Chris and instead sat down at the kitchen table. Chris shrugged as he sat down next to her, chalking her lack of response up to her not hearing the question over the amount of noise in the room.

Dinner was fun. Vanessa kept the conversation going and Ms. Burton and Mrs. Stewart made sure things ran smoothly. The more Vanessa spoke the more Chris was mesmerized by her. Trent seemed less impressed by their dinner guest though, shooting glares at Vanessa whenever she spoke. After dinner Vanessa got a call from home and left soon after, thanking the Stewart/Burton family for letting her stay. Chris walked her to the door and watched as she made her way down the street before walking back into the house where his family sat. "I liked her." Mrs. Stewart said. Ms. Burton nodded in agreement but Trent shook his head.

"I don't." he said standing up and walking out of the room. There was silence after Trent stormed out. Chris glanced from his mom to Ms. Burton before running after his twin.

"Trent!" Chris yelled as he ran through the house to the back porch. Trent was sitting in a lawn chair facing the yard, staring intently at the tree house that had been everything from a castle to a mountain during the boys' childhood. "What's wrong?" he asked, leaning against the chair Trent was sitting in. Trent sighed and shook his head, not turning to face Chris. "Come on bro," he prodded, sitting down in a chair next to Trent. Trent sighed again.

"There's a guy from a few towns over," He began. "He died recently. The rumor is that his girlfriend, Vanessa, killed him. The cops said it was suicide but no one believes that. Vanessa, she left the school, disappeared without a trace. Now this Vanessa shows up out of the blue a week later? Something's up." Chris stared at his brother in shock. Trent was usually truthful but this accusation was just insane.

"Vanessa wouldn't do that." he said defensively.

"How do you know?" Trent asked angrily, turning to face Chris, worry and anger in his eyes. "You've hardly known her for a day!"

Chris felt his blood boil as Trent said this. "Yes but she's nice, she'd never hurt anyone!" Trent sighed and shrugged before he looked back out at the yard.

"Just be careful okay?" He asked. "I don't think our moms could handle you dying."

Chris nodded, understanding what Trent was saying. "You mean both of us." He said bitterly. Trent simply nodded.

"You know it's going to happen." he murmured softly. Chris shook his head, not wanting to think about his brother, his best friend, dying. "Chris." Trent said firmly. "You've got to face this at some point." Hazel eyes met identical hazel eyes and Chris sighed sadly.

"You can beat this." He protested.

Trent shook his head. "We keep saying that, don't we?"

There was silence as Chris thought about what Trent said. He knew, deep inside, that his brother was right. Trent had been sick for almost as long as Chris had known him and, while he continued to fight, Chris could tell that his brother was getting tired. He couldn't imagine life without Trent though, the idea of going back to the life he had before discovering he had a twin made Chris feel sick to his stomach. He knew he wouldn't be alone but at the same time he would be. Trent had become his other half over the years and him dying would leave an empty spot in Chris that couldn't be filled. "I...I just don't want you gone." he finally said.

Trent laughed softly from beside him and replied, "I don't want me gone either but it's gonna happen sooner or later."

"How are you so calm about this?" he asked and Trent shrugged.

"I've had time to think about it. We've gotten off topic though." Chris looked over at his twin quizzically, not sure what Trent meant. "Vanessa?" Trent reminded with a laugh and a look that said, _Really? You forgot?_

Chris laughed along with his brother, surprised that he had temporarily forgotten about the girl that took his breath away. "So..." Trent began. "Are you going to ask her out?" Chris scoffed.

"I thought you said you didn't like her."

"As long as you're careful you can date her. I can't tell you what to do."

Chris nodded and laughed "I told her I like her," he said. "And she said she likes me."

Trent face palmed before looking at Chris and saying, "Do something then you idiot! If you two like each other than do something!"

Chris laughed, surprised he hadn't thought of the idea of doing something about the mutual feelings. "I think I'll ask her out. Tomorrow."

Trent laughed and stood up. "That sounds like a plan. Just be-"

"Careful. I know." Chris smiled at Trent before standing up and walking with his brother into the house.

**A/N 2: And there you have it! Chapter 3!****The next chapter will probably be everything that happens with Vanessa in A Mother's Nightmare (I'm not sure where I should split it yet) so be warned! (For those of you who haven't seen AMN and don't mind spoilers I think you'll be able to read the story without having seen the movie.) If you like the story favorite and review (or you can just choose one or the other!) Until Thursday!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys, long time no see! I know I said I'd update very Thursday and it's been almost a month… School kinda took up a lot of time and then I went to a writing thing and my muse got side tracked. I'm back though and hopefully I'll have more updates for you soon!**

**XxX Warblers Girl XxX– Thank you so much! I hope you like this chapter just as much!**

Broken Bits of Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Warnings: Mentions of death, recreational drug use, past domestic abuse

"Oh my god, there is no way that was your first time." Vanessa exclaimed as she rolled off of Chris and lay down next to him. "Yup…. Was…. Was I good?" Chris asked nervously, scanning his eyes over Vanessa's body before looking back up at her face. He wasn't too sure how someone was supposed to act during sex and had no idea if he'd even come close to being okay. "Good? You blew my mind. Wow." Vanessa exclaimed with a smile. Chris smiled back and laughed, he'd been so nervous about doing it with Vanessa and was glad that he'd been able to please her.

After his conversation with Trent Chris had gone to school confident and happy. His plan was simply to get close enough to Vanessa that they could start dating. Things didn't work out the way Chris wanted them to but in the best way possible. Vanessa and Chris had fallen into a routine, becoming closer than Chris had ever expected them to. There had been no certain point where Vanessa became Chris's girlfriend, it just happened, like sunset or grass growing. One day the two were walking home and Vanessa had slipped her hand into Chris's and just like that they were together. It was a silent understanding that their friendship had become more.

After that the two spent as much time together as possible walking around Lake Xavier, talking in Chris's room, making out on the lawn outside of school. As Chris's relationship with Vanessa grew school and track practice became unimportant, a burden, to Chris. His world revolved around Vanessa now and he didn't need friends, school, or sports anymore. Part of Chris knew he was diving straight into disaster but he couldn't help himself. He loved Vanessa and Vanessa loved him. That was all that mattered.

"Do you ever think about death?" Vanessa asked, pulling Chris out of his thoughts. "Not really." He replied, stroking Vanessa's hand as he spoke. "I mean, sometimes when my dad got really drunk and everything I'd wonder what it would be like to die but I couldn't do that to my mom, you know?" Chris sighed, remembering the many times he'd stood in front of the mirror debating taking his life. He'd never tried to go through with it though, he hadn't wanted to leave his mom alone with an abusive, drunk husband. "Why?" Chris asked, wondering where Vanessa's question came from. He'd gotten used to Vanessa's odd questions but they still surprised him. "I do. I think about it all the time."

Chris felt his blood run cold as Vanessa spoke. He had spoken to her about this kind of thing before, he'd seen cuts on her arms and had asked about them. Vanessa claimed she'd fallen through glass and Chris had let the subject lie. He didn't really believe her though, glass cuts didn't look like that, so neat and organized. "I always wonder what it's like to die…" Vanessa added and Chris wrapped his arm around the brunette's waist. He was about to speak when he heard the front door open upstairs.

Both his and Vanessa's heads shot up at the sound and Chris flung himself out of bed, grabbing his pants and pulling them on as the sound of stairs creaking became louder and louder. His mom was going to kill him. She didn't like Vanessa and ever since the teen had moved in with them, which she had done about two weeks ago, Mrs. Stewart had acted bitter and angry. "Chris?" Mrs. Stewart called out, her voice right outside the door now. Chris's pants were almost all the way on when the door opened. "Mom!" He yelled as he turned in surprise. Mrs. Stewart's eyes went wide as she surveyed the scene, glancing from Chris to Vanessa back to Chris. "What are you doing here?" She asked angrily. "I…I had to write a paper." Chris stammered out, feeling his stomach flop as he buttoned his pants and began to slip on a shirt. "And what about you?" Mrs. Stewart asked, turning on Vanessa, eyes ablaze. "I felt sick." Vanessa commented, her face conveying how little she cared about getting in trouble with Chris's mom.

Mrs. Steward scoffed at Vanessa and shook her head. "Well, usually when we entertain guests we do it in the living room, not the bed room. Vanessa, get out." Chris watched in shock as his mom commanded Vanessa out of his room. "Whatever." Vanessa said as she stood up, pulling her panties back on before walking casually out of the room. As soon as Vanessa was gone Mrs. Stewart turned her attention back to her son. "What was that? What were you doing? Why weren't you in school?" Chris sighed. "Exactly what you think it was." He said, a duh hanging silently in the air between them. "And what about school huh?" Mrs. Stewart demanded, her voice turning into ice. "You're failing out Chris! I've already gotten three calls from your school about your grades and how you've been skipping!"

Chris frowned as his mother yelled. "It's none of your business what I do with my life." He exclaimed and Mrs. Stewart's face flashed with anger. "You are my son and as long as you live in my house it is my business." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Stop being so overprotective mom! God!" Chris cried out, anger pumping through his veins like poison. "You think I'm being overprotective? Me looking out for my son is being overprotective? This girl is making you miss school. You're about to fail out Chris. Not only that but she got you drunk. You know what alcohol's done to this family." Chris winced at his mother's response, not wanting to think of that night. He and Vanessa had celebrated her new job by drinking an entire bottle of something and after a long night he'd headed home only to be greeted by his mother, worried and angry. "I don't want you ending up like your father." Mrs. Stewart added, her voice sounding broken. There was silence as Chris scrambled to make sense of what his mother had said. "Get out." He finally said, trying to control his anger. Mrs. Stewart nodded, seeming to know that throwing Mr. Stewart into the mix had been going too far, stooping too low. "I don't want her around Chris." She said as she made her way to the door. "Also, clean this up." She added, nodding at the sticky mess of sheets before opening the door and leaving without so much as a second glance.

The next day was a difficult one for Chris. He arrived at school with the vow that he'd start paying attention again but it soon became clear that this was easier said than done. When Chris walked into class and looked at the notes he realized he was at least a month behind everyone else. The day was a struggle and if Matt and Cam hadn't been there to keep him away from Vanessa and focused on school Chris probably would have given up after second period. Track practice came after school and Chris arrived at the field with butterflies in his stomach. "Stewart? What are you doing here?" Coach Flannery barked out as he spotted Chris. "Yes sir." Chris said, bowing his head. "Well, let me tell you this. All these boys have been practicing all month without you. I don't want to let you back but you're good. You have one last chance." Chris nodded and looked up at coach expectantly. "Run to the post over there and back and maybe I'll let you back." Chris nodded and he narrowed in on the post and prepped his body. As soon as Coach Flannery's whistle blew Chris was off running as fast as he could. For a moment he felt weightless, like all fears he'd felt for the past month had been left behind. The feeling ended quickly though as Chris neared the pole and spotted a familiar face at the edge of the forest. It was Vanessa, talking to none other than Jake. Chris felt his blood boil. Vanessa knew of the feud between him and Jake. It was obvious that she was getting Chris back for ignoring her earlier in school.

Chris ran to the pole, hearing his team mates cheering as he passed it. He didn't turn around though, instead he continued running towards the forest, towards Vanessa and Jake. "Hey." He said as he stopped in front of the two. "Hey baby, Jake was just talking to me about-″ "Can I talk to you alone?" Chris asked, glancing angrily at Jake. Jake raised an eyebrow at Chris before turning around and stalking away. "What was that?" Vanessa asked angrily. "You know how I feel about Jake?" Chris stated, feeling jealousy bubbling up inside of him. He knew for sure that he'd told Vanessa about Jake and how he was bad news, it was one of the first things he'd talked to her about. "Relax Chris, he was just talking to me about my job, he's really interested in animals." Chris scoffed. "I don't trust him. He's… he's bad news." Chris said and Vanessa rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She said with a scoff before seeming to change her mind and smiling up at Chris. "I know how to fix this, come with me." She said, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the field and forest and towards the bus stop. The two held hands without talking as they boarded the bus. The ride wasn't too long, the pet shop Vanessa worked at, the place that had become their normal meeting place, was only about a mile away. As soon as the two got off the bus Vanessa dragged Chris into the back entrance of the store, giggling as she walked. Chris looked around nervously as they entered the blue and white painted building and walked through a maze of rooms. This was where he first got drunk and had bad vibes to him.

"Come on." Vanessa said, pressing a kiss to Chris's lips before heading into a familiar room. Chris followed behind curiously. The next few hours were a blur. Vanessa brought out weed and the two smoked it until it grew dark, laughing and kissing as they filled the small room with smoke. "This is totally gonna ruin my lungs." Chris muttered with a smile. "Not that it matters for track anymore." He added before pressing a kiss on Vanessa's lips. Vanessa just laughed and pulled Chris closer, teasing him as she went. Time seemed to pass both quickly and slowly at the same time and when they looked at the time and saw how late it was both teens were surprised. They parted with a kiss before Chris boarded a bus and headed back home.

As soon as he walked in the door he could tell that something was off. The house was quiet but not in the usual way. It was the lying in wait quiet, the silence before the storm. Once Chris rounded the corner he realized why things seemed so strange. Sitting at the dining room table was Trent, Ms. Burton, Mr. Stewart, and Mrs. Stewart. "Hey guys." Chris said with a frown, feeling the high he was on leave him. "What's going on? Is everything okay?" Chris glanced at his brother as he spoke. Trent had recently finished another round of chemo and was looking tired and thin. "I'm fine Chris. It's…. It's you we're worried about." Trent said, running a hand through his short cropped hair. "Me? What's wrong? What's going on?" Chris asked, feeling a wave of confusion sweep him up off his feet. "We have to talk about Vanessa." Mrs. Stewart said quietly. Chris's eyes widened as he heard this. He was tired of people trying to warn him about his girlfriend. "Just hear us out Chris." Trent said and Chris nodded numbly, cautiously walking over to the empty chair and sitting down next to his brother.

Chris sat and listened as his parents, Trent, and Trent's mom explained their findings. Chris had left his phone at home one day and his mom had called Vanessa's foster parents. Her original plan was to scold them for their inability to take care of their foster child but the tables turned when Vanessa's foster mother explained that Vanessa had only been with them for a month or so. Not only had Vanessa lied about her family and their treatment of her but she'd also lied about having a brother. There was no brother and never had been, not even a foster one. Chris felt shivers run down his back as his mom continued to explain how she called social services and had been told that all of Vanessa's files were locked, a very suspicious thing to have happen. "That girl I told you about last month?" Trent added. "It's her. I asked around and a kid from yearbook recognized her."

Chris sat in silence after all the information had been given to him. His head was swimming and he felt more confused than ever. This person Chris's family was talking about couldn't be Vanessa, not his Vanessa. His Vanessa wouldn't hurt anyone. "Just…. Just think it over, okay?" Trent asked quietly and Chris nodded. "I'm going to bed." He said before standing up from the table and walking down to his room.

He had to talk to Vanessa.

**A/N 2: DUN DUN DUN! Cliff hanger… kind of. I hope you all liked the latest chapter! I have three more actually written and another in the works although I'm pretty sure it will take more than four more chapters to tie everything up (unless I split this into two parts) Anyway I'll update again soon, no earlier than later this week and no later than mid June. Until then! 36**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Oh look, I managed to update on time! Yaaay. I was planning on making this chapter and the next chapter one long chapter but then I started typing it up and realized that it would be an extremely long chapter if I did that. I also, finally, upped the rating to T. I've been labeling it as T but didn't categorize it as so until now. Anyway, as always I hope you enjoy this! **

Broken Bits of Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Warnings: Mentions of non-con, non-graphic violence

"I'm sorry Vanessa, I'll see you around." Chris said quietly, trying to keep his emotions in check, before turning around and walking away from his ex-girlfriend. "Chris! Chris!" Vanessa called back, her voice cracking in anger and, possibly, sadness. Chris continued to walk away, holding his head high despite wanting to duck his head and stalk away. He couldn't show he was upset about this, he had to at least act like he didn't care about Vanessa's feelings. Chris had gotten to school that day, the day after his family's talk with him, and found that Vanessa was nowhere to be found. He didn't try too hard to find Vanessa though, instead choosing to attempt to focus on school instead. Finally though lunch rolled around and Chris confronted his girlfriend. Angrily he told Vanessa everything his family had told him, calling the brunette out on her lies and asking her why she hadn't told the truth. There had been yelling, angry words shouted back and forth before Chris had finally said enough was enough and that they were over, handing Vanessa her father's ring, a token of their love that she had given to him earlier in their relationship. Even as he walked away Chris couldn't believe what he'd done, he loved Vanessa and couldn't bear seeing her angry but he couldn't let her get away with what she'd been doing. Relationships were about trust and he no longer had any trust left for his ex.

Chris went to twist at the ring on his finger before realizing, again, that it was gone. It was odd to feel that it was gone, he'd hardly taken it off after Vanessa had given it to him with a sob story about how her father was hardly around or something. Now Chris wondered if everything she said about that was a lie too. As Chris turned the corner and made his way the main cafeteria he sighed, he couldn't believe what he'd just done, he couldn't take it back though, it was too late. He wanted to though, he wanted to run back to Vanessa and apologize. He didn't though, instead Chris spent the rest of the day trying to distract himself. It wasn't hard to do this after a while, Chris was still behind on school work and no matter how much he tired he didn't see how he could catch up. The rest of the day passed slowly yet quickly for Chris and before he knew it he was back at home struggling with his biology homework.

After a couple hours skimming through his textbook, trying to figure out what exactly the heart of an earthworm looked like, Chris's phone rang. Picking it up off the desk Chris expected it to be Matt, Cam, or maybe even Trent. What he hadn't expected was to see Vanessa's picture flashing back at him. "Hello?" Chris asked as he answered the call, a feeling of foreboding settling in his stomach. "Chris…" Vanessa answered, sounding terrified and hopeless. Chris sat up straight in his chair as he listened to her ramble on almost incoherently. Something was really, really wrong. "Vanessa, baby, calm down. Breathe. Where are you?" he demanded, worry filling his body. "At… At the pet shop. Don't come, please don't." Vanessa begged as Chris hung up the phone. He knew he should listen to Vanessa; that he should just stay at home and try to study but he couldn't just leave Vanessa alone like that. There was no telling what she'd do. As he thought this Chris stood up and ran out of his room, out of his house, towards Vanessa.

He was out of breath by the time he reached the shop but he didn't stop. He ran up to the door and banged on it as hard as he could, trying not to let his fear completely take over. Vanessa opened the door almost immediately, her eyes red from crying, flickering with fear as she clung to the door. He listened as Vanessa explained what happened as she dragged him back to the familiar back room. She stammered her way through an explanation of what had happened, how she'd run into Jake after her fight with Chris, how Jake had taken her to the woods and proceeded to do horrible things to her. Chris listened in horror as Vanessa spoke, wanting nothing more than to kill the blonde boy for what he did. He voiced his anger and was surprised when Vanessa begged him not to confront Jake; that it would just go badly. "If the police find out about this they'll take me away from here. They'll pull me out of my home and put me god knows where. I don't want to leave you." She said, tears making her eyes shine as she looked up at Chris.

Chris nodded numbly, understanding what Vanessa meant but still wanting to help her in some way. "What do I do then? What do we do? There has to be something…" He said quietly, almost in a whisper. He couldn't let Jake get away with doing this to someone, especially Vanessa. "I… I want to forget about all of this." Vanessa answered, wrapping her arms around Chris's neck as she spoke, pulling him into the bathroom as their lips connected.

Even to this day Chris can't remember what happened after the two started making out against the bathroom wall. He remembered drinking, and smoking, and feeling funny but not much else. There are a few things that could be remembered but they seemed like wisps, dream like memories instead of real ones. He could remember undressing Vanessa as she ran her hand underneath his shirt and the confused feeling he got when his mom suddenly appeared in the doorway. He remembered wanting to leave but his legs weren't working. The next thing he remembered was waking up the next day, wrapped in his blankets in his bed at home.

Waking up the next day was hell for Chris. He'd known that the day would go badly but when he woke up with a pounding headache he didn't know just how badly the day would go. It started off with a hangover that made Chris want to curl up into a ball and sleep for a few decades and a phone call from Ms. Burton. As soon as he answered the phone it became obvious that his mother had called the previous night or earlier that day. "What are you doing Chris?" She'd asked but Chris had just shook his head, unable to answer his almost mother. All he knew was that he loved Vanessa and couldn't help himself around her. After the phone call, somehow, the day got even worse when a knock came at the door. Mrs. Stewart answered the door and came back into the kitchen, where Chris was trying to force down a soggy bowl of Cheerios, followed by two police men. "Christopher Stewart?" The larger of the two officers asked, making Chris look up. "Yeah?" he asked, glancing from the officers to his mom, wondering what was going on. "Christopher Stewart you are under arrest for the rape of Vanessa Lowndes." Chris stood up sharply as he was handcuffed, listening in shock as he was read his rights and escorted out the door to the cop car sitting out front. His mind was going a mile a minute. Rape? He hadn't raped anyone. It was Jake that had done the raping, not him.

It was safe for Chris to say that being interrogated was absolutely fucking terrifying. The man doing the interrogation was harsh and pushy, insisting that Chris tell the truth even though he already was. He tried to reason with the man, tell him what Vanessa had told him about Jake but the man wouldn't listen, just pushed harder. The questions left him drained and as soon as the man left the room Chris collapsed into his mother's arms, letting tears flow freely down his face. "It'll be okay Chris. We'll get through this." Mrs. Stewart whispered as she held her son, stroking his hair as she rocked him back and forth. Chris nodded, trying to calm himself down, breathe. He didn't want to admit it but he was afraid, he didn't really remember what happened the night before and was terrified that he had actually done something to his girlfriend.

School ended up being even worse than the interrogation. Chris arrived at school on Monday and no one had talked to him. He and Vanessa weren't supposed to talk about the case but it was obvious that Vanessa hadn't listened to this and had told everyone what was going on. Not even Cam and Matt spoke to him. "Sorry man… We just… We've gotta go." Chris had said with a frown. Chris could hear the whispers as he walked down the hall and could feel the looks of hatred boring into him all day. Chris never felt so alone before and hardly managed to get through the day. He hadn't done anything to deserve this treatment, he was innocent. The day got ten times worse when he turned the corner and saw Vanessa and Cheryl walking side by side in the hall, talking and laughing like any other teenage girls would.

By the end of the day Chris hated everything and just wanted to disappear, not die, just leave, and start over. Chris dragged himself home in a daze, collapsing on the couch as soon as he got through the door. "I'm not going back to school." He called out as he heard his mom walk into the room. "That's probably for the best." She replied, sadness obvious in her voice as she spoke. "I didn't do anything." He whispered as he felt the sofa dip as his mom sat down next to him. "I know you didn't." Mrs. Stewart replied quietly, running a hand through her son's hair as she spoke. Chris took a deep breath, he wanted to cry but he couldn't, he'd done enough of that already. "Trent wants you to call him." She added quietly and Chris groaned, hiding his face in his hands/ "Please don't tell me he thinks I hurt her." He pleaded, trying not to sound as broken as he felt. If Trent thought he'd done something bad there was no hope at all. "No, I think all he wants to do is talk." Mrs. Stewart reassured her son quietly. There was a pause before the silence was broken by the telephone ringing. Mrs. Stewart ran her hand through her son's hair one last time before she stood up off the couch and answered the phone. Chris listened as his mother's voice turned cold and he immediately knew what the call was about. As Mrs. Stewart spoke to whatever the angry person on the phone was saying Chris stood up, wiping away unshed tears. "I'm going for a walk." He grumbled as he heard his mom hang up the phone, shooting out the door before his mom could protest.

Chris slammed the door closed as he left, trying not to explode. How could Vanessa do this to him? Looking back Chris couldn't remember much of what happened but he was almost completely sure that he hadn't done anything to her that night at the pet store. Vanessa had been the one to make any and all advances. Chris was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of someone shouting. He looked up, realizing where he was, only a block or two away from his home, before turning to see what was being shouted about. It took him a moment to realize it was him. Three people, clothed in dark jeans and hoodies, were running at him, shouting as they went. As this scene registered in his head Chris's fight or flight response kicked in and he began to run, hoping he could get away in time.

It turned out he couldn't, they were quicker than him, cornering him before he could run the other way. He tried though, he really tried to run away, to get back home. He was only a block away, it wouldn't have been hard. Chris glanced at the street sign that pointed towards the road that led to his house. The next thing he knew he was on the ground, being pinned down by strong hands. He struggled, feeling panic rising in his chest, making him want to scream. He did scream when he felt something hard collide with his knee. It wasn't like any other pain Chris had felt before and that was saying something considering how many injuries he'd gotten playing sports as a kid. This pain was white hot, almost burning pain, running from his knee to his toes all the way up to his hip. He knew he was screaming but as the second hit pounded his already wounded knee he couldn't hear it. All he could focus on was the pain and the shouting surrounding him. Suddenly there was more shouting from outside of the small circle and the group stopped, looking up before running away.

Chris looked up, confused, as his attackers ran away. What was going on? Why were they running? Who had been shouting? Chris saw blackness edging into his vision as he looked around the empty street. He turned and, seemingly out of nowhere, a woman was at his side, staring at him with expressive hazel eyes. "Are you alright dear?" She asked before Chris let the darkness threatening his vision take over completely.

**A/N 2: Alright, I hope you liked it! Review and subscribe if you want to (it would be awesome!) Until next time! (Probably Thursday?) **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Woo! Update! This chapter is on the shorter side, only about half as long as the other chapters but if I'd kept this chapter and chapter 5 together it would have been too long for my liking. So here you go. Chapter six!**

Broken Bits of Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Warnings: drug use (non-graphic), blood (sort of graphic)

Chris woke up as he felt his cheek being hit. "Oh good, you're back." A voice said and Chris opened his eyes with a groan. "What?" He asked before remembering what had happened. "Oh god!" He said, bolting up into a sitting position as he looked around. He was still lying on the street, his legs stretched out, his knee propped up by a thin pink cardigan. "Hello dear." The voice said again and Chris turned to face his savior, the woman with the hazel eyes. She was on the older side, with wispy white hair and a soft looking expression. "I think something happened to my knee." Chris managed to blurt out as he became suddenly aware of the painful throbbing in his leg. "Yes, it seems that way, don't worry though, the ambulance is already on its way." The woman said calmly and Chris nodded, taking a deep breath. "Did you know any of those people?" She asked and Chris shook his head, feeling himself start to shake. "It's alright dear, calm down. Breathe." She said, grabbing Chris's hand and rubbing her thumb against his palm as he took another deep breath.

The woman stayed with Chris until the ambulance came, managing to keep him calm while they waited. It turned out she lived not too far from him, only a couple doors down, and owned two dogs. "Yappy little things." She exclaimed happily. Chris laughed feebly at this and continued to listen despite the blackness creeping into the edge of his vision. He listened as she talked of her family, her son and his son. She was on her own now, her husband had died years ago and her children had moved away but she was happy where she was and was hardly lonely. Chris couldn't help but smile at what the woman said, he wanted that life, a happy content one. This desire must have shown on his face, as well as the hopelessness he felt about having a future like that because the woman stopped talking and smiled softly. "Things will get better, you'll see dear. They always get better. You just need a little courage." She said as the ambulance pulled up next to them. "Thank you." Chris replied quietly as he was placed on a stretcher. The woman nodded slowly "You have a good life ahead of you, don't waste it." She said with a nod and without another word began to hobble away.

The ambulance ride was silent and Chris tried not to pass out again, letting the woman's words repeat in his head. "You just need a little courage." She had said. Where was he supposed to find that? He contemplated this all the way to the hospital. Once there the thought momentarily left his head though as he was greeted by his frantic mother. "Chris, oh god Chris are you alright?" she asked, running over to his stretcher as he was wheeled in. "Yeah mom, I'm great." He replied with a grimace as he was given a shot, some sort of pain medication. The rest of the hospital visit was hazy, his leg was fixed up and the police came by, one of them was one of the cops that had arrested him, and then he'd been given permission to go home. The ride home was silent and strained, he could tell his mom had a lot to say but he didn't want to listen. The silence continued as Chris followed his mom into the house, choosing to hobble down to his room instead of talk about what had happened. As soon as he saw his bed Chris realized how tired he was, collapsing onto the mattress and falling asleep almost instantly. He dreamed of better days when Vanessa wasn't accusing him of rape, when Trent wasn't sick, and when Cam and Matt still talked to him. It was a nice dream and when Chris awoke he was smiling.

It took a moment to realize what had woken him up but then his phone let out another loud beep and Chris groaned, hoping it was someone he wanted to talk to. Without even looking at who was calling Chris pressed accept, surprised to see Vanessa's face staring back at him through facetime a moment later. "Vanessa!" He exclaimed, too shocked to say anything else. "You're a nasty drunk." She replied sadly and Chris bowed his head in shame, knowing it was the truth. "I know, I'm sorry." He replied, knowing the words were empty. If he really had done what he'd done to her, which he was starting to think he had, I'm sorry wouldn't be enough. Chris spent the next hour trying to apologize for what, by the end of the hour, he was sure he had done. After many tears and cries of frustration Vanessa accepted his apology and the two began their rocky friendship.

The next few days were spent trying to regain Vanessa's trust, proving to her that he could be better. He loved her and wanted her back. He was willing to do whatever it took to have her again. Chris still wasn't back at school, instead attempting homework at home with an online tutor so his free time was spent texting, calling, and skyping Vanessa. Chris felt bad about going behind his mother's back but he knew that she would understand if she understood how much he was in love. Secretly the two planned a picnic at Rocky Glen Park, carefully picking out times and cab companies, weeding out all the places that they had connections to or would be too much of a hassle.

The day approached faster than Chris had expected, he had originally thought that he'd be waiting impatiently for the day to arrive but it was there in a flash. The investigation was still pending but Vanessa and Chris had reconnected, both realizing their mistakes and vowing to be better. The ride up to Rocky Glen was peaceful and fun, full of giggling and smiling. It was obvious that Vanessa had missed Chris as much as he had missed her. After what felt like seconds the cab was stopping and Vanessa helped Chris out of the vehicle, handing him his crutches before pulling her bag out and paying the driver.

Things went well as Chris and Vanessa made their way into the woods, the wind whipping their coats and hair as they walked. Vanessa forgot the sandwiches but Chris didn't mind. "I came to see you, not the sandwiches." He said, causing her to smile. The two continued to walk until they reached a level clearing, it seemed like the perfect place to set up camp and the two sat down, exchanging smiles. Vanessa pulled out two sodas, Orange Fanta for Chris and Pepsi for herself. The two drank and talked about everything and anything. As the conversation continued Chris began to feel off. It wasn't a bad off, just off. His brain felt fuzzy and his body felt like it was floating. Things seemed different when Chris was in this state of mind and time seemed to speed up. One moment Chris was staring at birds, wishing he could fly with them, the next he was holding a razor blade to his arm, watching as blood ran down his arm.

He is surprised it didn't hurt. Wasn't it supposed to hurt when you sliced yourself open? The blood seeps out of him like rain through cloth and he really thinks it should hurt. "Keep going." Vanessa whispers almost gleefully and Chris continues. His eyes widen as he watches himself slice open his arms, letting the blood run down his arm and onto his shirt, his pants, and the ground. There's no pain, not even a stinging feeling. Chris begins to feel light headed but continues on as Vanessa encourages him. He's fascinated by the red liquid coming out of his body, he never knew someone could bleed so much. He looks up at Vanessa and says something about how much he loves her and lets the blackness that came with the light headedness take over.

He doesn't see Vanessa take the blade from him, wipe it clean, and put it safely away. He doesn't feel her slip the ring off his finger, clean it off, and put it with the razor. He doesn't feel her kiss his cheek or hear her whisper "Someone's going to find you but I'll be long gone by then." He doesn't hear his mom arrive, or see her wrestling Vanessa to the ground as the teen begs Mrs. Stewart to leave Chris alone, to let him die. Somehow though he hears the sirens, as well as his mom screaming his name. He doesn't hear anything after that but everyone else hears him flat line.

**A/N 2: ….yay? I hope you all liked this chapter, if you did (and even if you didn't) don't forget to review and such! Maybe while you're at it, if you're a Niffler you can also go give me a prompt for my story The Milgram Experiment. Thanks everyone! I'll see you Thursday!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Yikes, sorry for the slight delay in update! I was having issues with the editing of this because I kept going back and saying "nope this is wrong, it's all wrong." In the end I gave up trying to perfect it and here it is. If you've stuck with the story you can probably tell things are getting kind of dark… and they aren't getting any better. Things for Chris are going to start going in a downward spiral. mwahaha... ha?**

Broken Bits of Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Warnings:

The first thing Chris noticed when he woke up was that he's no longer leaning against a tree at Rocky Glen. Instead he's lying on something soft, a bed, but not his own. The second thing he realized was that someone was talking to him. He searched his mind for the face that went with the voice for a moment before realizing who it was. "Mom?" he whispered, opening his eyes and squinting at the light that hit his eyes. "Chris!" His mom exclaimed, sounding like she'd been holding her breath and had finally took another breath. "How are you?" She asked, shifting slightly so she could run her hand through his hair the way she'd done since he was a kid. Chris shrugged before looking around the room, he wasn't sure how he was. It was clear he was in the hospital but why? He was about to ask his mom what he was doing in the hospital when the memories of Rocky Glen flooded back. Red blood dripping down his arm, Vanessa egging him on, his mom screaming. Chris closed his eyes, collecting his thoughts, before looking up at his mom and then down at his arm. It was covered in white gauze and medical tape, all traces of damage hidden by the sterile white bandages.

"What day is it?" Chris asked as he glanced back up at his mom before looking down at the gauze. Now that he'd seen the bandage it was hard to look away. "It's the 11th. You've been out for a few days honey." She replied, weariness and sadness leaking through in her words. Suddenly Chris felt guilty. All the worry lining her face was his fault, he'd caused all the pain she must have been feeling. "I'm sorry mom." He choked out, his voice cracking as he spoke. "It's okay Chris. You're okay now and that's what matters." Mrs. Stewart replied, wiping away a tear before smiling at her son. There was a moment of silence between mother and son before Mrs. Stewart cleared her throat. "Trent and his mom are waiting outside for you. Want me to bring them in?" Chris nodded silently, biting back tears. He didn't realize how much he missed his brother until his mom had mentioned him. How long had it been since then two of them had really talked? Not since Vanessa. A small voice said as Mrs. Stewart stood up and left the room.

Chris looked around the room as he waited for someone to open the door. It was a normal hospital room, nothing out of the ordinary. It looked a lot like the one Trent stayed in when he got sick except, unlike his room, this room was painted pale yellow instead of green. Chris looked up as the door opened with a soft click and Trent walked in, freezing in the doorway as he looked at his twin. "Chris." He said, his voice sounding strained, thick, as if he was trying to hold back tears. "Trent!" Chris replied, struggling to sit up so he could face his brother. He gripped the bed rails as he went, suddenly feeling light headed and dizzy. "Relax." Trent said softly, suddenly right next to the bed, pressing gently on his brother's chest, forcing him back down onto the pillow. "You're still a bit weak. You lost… you lost a lot of blood." Trent explained, looking away as he spoke. There was silence for a moment and Chris felt his heart break for his brother. "I'm sorry." Chris finally said, breaking the silence as he looked down at his hands. Trent nodded and sat down next to Chris on the bed, not saying a word.

"I thought you were going to die." Trent whispered, his breath hitching slightly. "I'm so sorry." Chris whispered back, not sure what else to say. What were you supposed to say when you did something like this to your family? "You don't have to apologize Chris but… I was so scared." Trent replied, burying his face in his hands as he spoke. Chris watched as his brother shook, sure that he was hiding tears. Fighting the dizziness Chris sat up and wrapped his arms around his brother, trying to comfort him as best he could. "I do have to apologize." He said with a sigh. "I've been really horrible and you didn't deserve it. I should've listened to you from day one." He'd missed so much when he was in Vanessa's clutches and it was only just now dawning upon him how distant he'd been. Trent sniffled and looked up at his brother, wiping away tears before wrapping his arms around his brother and burying his face in Chris's chest, holding onto him like a life line.

Chris rocked Trent back and forth gently as his twin let all his tears out. At some point Ms. Burton and his mom entered with a doctor but as soon as they saw the scene playing out they quickly left, giving the boys some much needed privacy. As Trent cried into his shoulder Chris looked at his brother. It had been a while since he'd really gotten a good look at him. He was thinner now, if that was even possible, and his skin was paler. He didn't look great and Chris wondered if it was because of him or the cancer, or both. Chris was pulled back from his thoughts as Trent shifted positions, still hugging his brother but not as tightly anymore. "How aren't you crying? This didn't even happen to me and I'm the one bawling like a baby." Trent asked with a laugh and Chris smiled. "I guess I've had time to let it sink in. You've been… watching it from the sidelines." He explained with a shrug. Truthfully he had no clue why he wasn't so upset, he should be but he wasn't. He couldn't feel anything towards the whole situation except guilt at causing his family so much pain.

There was silence again and Chris felt three months' worth of questions build up inside of him. "How've you been doing Trent?" He asked quietly. He'd missed a lot over the past few months and he wanted to be caught up, to actually be there for his brother. Trent sighed and Chris felt his stomach flop. Chris knew that sigh, it was the same sigh he had when he'd given up completely. "It's actually going pretty shittily." Trent replied honestly, pulling off his brother and moving to sit down side by side on the bed. "We stopped treatment." He whispered and Chris felt his heart stop. "What?" He asked, turning to look Trent in the eyes, wishing he could see a joke in the statement but knowing there wasn't one. "It wasn't working. It hadn't been in a while. We… we had to stop. It was just making things worse." Trent replied, sounding almost calm.

Suddenly Chris knew how Trent must have felt before while waiting for Chris to wake up, and even when he was crying. He felt his world crumbling. "No. You can't you… you have to-″ "I have to what?" Trent cut in coldly. "Fight it? Chris, I've been doing that. I… I can't anymore though. I just can't take it anymore." Chris felt tears run down his face as he listened to Trent speak. There had to be another way. Trent couldn't leave him, not yet. Not now. Deep down though he knew that there was nothing he could do. Trent had been fighting so hard but there were some battles that just couldn't be won. "I got more time than we thought though." Trent said quietly and Chris nodded numbly. "Yeah." He said as he felt Trent wrap his arms around him.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you." Chris admitted, his voice catching in his throat and cracking. "You'll manage. You're Chris Stewart." Trent replied and Chris nodded. He doubted he'd manage though. Trent had always been the strong one and Chris was sure that once Trent was gone he'd break completely. "I'm going to miss you." He finally said, trying his best to stay cool. "Yeah, I'd be pretty pissed if you didn't. Just… don't do anything stupid okay?" Trent asked and Chris nodded again. "I'll try." He said with a small laugh. There was silence again. There was so much Chris wanted to say but he didn't know how to get the words out. He wanted to tell Trent how much he meant to him, how amazing he was, and how he'd be lost without him. He didn't though, he held it in, choosing to let the silence envelop them like a blanket instead.

Soon Ms. Burton, Mrs. Stewart, and a doctor came in again, breaking the silence. Chris listened as Dr. Mitchell explained to him what had happened, what had been done to his arm, and how Vanessa had drugged him with PCP. "You're very lucky to have the mother you do. You might not be around to hear this if she hadn't been quick on her feet." Dr. Mitchell said bluntly and Chris nodded, looking over at his mom. "I know." He said softly, exchanging a small smile with his mom. Chris listened silently as Dr. Mitchell explained the plans for the next few days. "We'll keep you for a few more days but you're looking okay. Hopefully you'll be out of here by the end of the week. Then you'll have to come back for checkups but other than that you'll be okay." Dr. Mitchell explained and Chris smiled. A few more words were exchanged and Dr. Mitchell checked Chris's vitals and whatever else the machines surrounding him did before leaving with a smile and a good day.

The next few days passed more slowly than Chris could have ever thought they would. By the time he was released he seriously thought he might have actually died and, instead of going straight to heaven, had been sent to some sort of purgatory. "God, I'm so glad to be home." He exclaimed as he was led through the familiar front door. "I'm glad you're home too." Mrs. Stewart replied with a laugh, hugging her son before taking his hand and leading him towards the kitchen. "Welcome home!" A chorus of voices called out as Chris and his mom entered the room. "Whoa." Chris replied, jumping slightly before taking in the scene and laughing. Standing at the island in the middle of the kitchen was Ms. Burton, Trent, Cam, Matt, and Mr. Stewart. "Hey guys! What are you doing here?" He asked as he looked from person to person. "What does it look like?" Cam asked. "We're welcoming you home." Matt added and Chris smiled. The two had come by as soon as they heard the news of what happened and that Chris was alright. They had spent hours apologizing and Chris had accepted the apologies with a smile. He had missed his friends and, although he was still hurt by their betrayal earlier, understood why they turned on him.  
The small party laughed and talked until it was late. Cam and Matt were the first to leave, each giving their friend a pat on the shoulder before heading out with the promise they would text or call. Mr. Burton was the next to go, mumbling about a meeting the next day before pulling Chris into a hug. "I'm glad you're alright son." He whispered before leaving. The house grew quieter after Mr. Stewart left. Moms moved into the living room with coffees while boys moved out onto the porch. Chris flinched as he remembered the last time he'd been out on the porch with Trent. It felt like ages ago. The two sat in silence for a bit, looking up at the dark sky before Trent let out a sigh.

"I fucking hate life." He said sadly and Chris inhaled sharply. "What do you mean?" He asked warily. "I just mean it sucks sometimes." Trent replied. "Good people always end up hurt." Chris nodded at his brothers words, not sure how to respond. "Life does suck." He finally said. "But you've got to find a reason to keep going." Trent sighed and chuckled. "Always the optimist." He commented and Chris shrugged. "You know me, looking towards the sun." He said, quoting something Ms. Burton had said once about him. Trent laughed and nodded. "That's you. Always looking at the positives." Chris snorted. "It's not always a good thing." He said quietly and Trent turned to look at him, surprise etched on his face. "Seriously." Chris replied. "I spent half my relationship with Vanessa thinking 'maybe she'll get better. Things will work out.'" Chris shook his head. "I'm too positive sometimes." Trent shrugged and turned to face the sky again with a smile. "Maybe it's not a bad thing. You just have to learn to control it. Like the force." He said and Chris shrugged before the two lapsed into silence.

Eventually Ms. Burton came out and ushered her son home, leaving Chris and his mom alone in the house. It took a few days to adjust to being back home, to get used to living like a normal person again, but Chris managed it well enough. He didn't go back to school, his mom would have let him even if he had wanted to. He'd missed too much school as it was and he was too far behind to catch up. It was decided that he would just repeat Junior year the next year and, oddly enough, Chris was okay with that. He needed the summer to heal and he could fix all the mistakes he'd made. Sure he'd be in a class with people he didn't know well but he'd manage. He always did.

**A/N 2- There you go! Chapter 7. Does anyone want me to start naming the chapters because I feel like that's something I should do... Any ideas? Any feed back? Either would be appreciated! Until Thursday!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I want to take this time to tell you guys how awesome you are and thank all of you for sticking by me this far because I never thought ANYONE would read this. Some people might think 10 followers is nothing but I think it's amazing so thanks, you're all awesome! So here's chapter 8, I hope you all don't want to kill me when it's over….**

Broken Bits of Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Warnings: character death

A week flew by and then another. Life fell into a comforting routine for Chris. He and Trent spent almost every day together since neither of them were in school and they spent that time making up for the time lost during the three months Chris was with Vanessa. They talked about anything and everything, letting their conversation shift from reminiscing about the past to fearing the future. Somehow they always avoided two things. Vanessa and Trent's illness. It was obvious that both things were taking a lot out of the brothers, sucking life out of them like leeches, but they refused to talk to each other about it. Chris talked to his therapist, Lorraine, about everything but no one else, instead choosing to bottle it up until his next appointment. Lorraine was an understanding lady and let Chris vent as much as he wanted but he never felt that she did much to help him.

Days continued to pass and life continued on. A new trial, against Vanessa, was being formed and Chris, against his will, was brought in to make a statement, just barely making it through his story without breaking down. Other than that though life was okay, good even. Almost a month after Chris's return from the hospital Mr. Stewart announced the date of his wedding and asked Chris to be there for it. "I would love you have you there." He had said and Chris had smiled. A few months ago he would have said no, still hoping beyond hope that his parents would get back together, but he'd learned and was now happy for his dad. "Yeah, of course I'll be there." Chris had replied before grilling his dad for details that Mr. Stewart was willing to spill.

Chris knew that this bliss period would have to end eventually, that somehow the real world would have to come back and two months after his release from the hospital it did. It didn't just come back, it raced back, crashing into Chris's life and breaking down any support beams Chris had rebuilt. It started off with no phone call from Trent. This in itself wasn't odd, Trent always lost his cellphone and would usually just explain what had happened when he got to Chris's later that day. It wasn't until Trent didn't arrive at Chris's house at his usual time that Chris began to panic.

Then the phone call came. It was Mrs. Stewart who answered the phone, a habit that had started after Vanessa's accusations were made public. Chris was down in his room, reading a book and trying not to worry about his twin when his mom picked up the phone and didn't even know the phone was being used until his mom screeched "Chris!" Her voice full of emotion. Chris bolted up the stairs at the sound of this, looking at his mom in fear as he faced her. He already knew what the call was about before his mom hung up the phone. "Get in the car." Mrs. Stewart said, knowing her son needed no explanation. The ride to the hospital was quick and quiet, the nervousness and worry felt by both Stewarts consuming the entire car.

Chris couldn't think properly the entire ride all he could think was that something was wrong with Trent. Trent. Trent. Trent. The name repeated in Chris's head like a broken record as he watched the hospital get closer and closer. Just as Mrs. Stewart pulled into the parking lot Chris felt his chest begin to ache. He cried out as his mom parked, surprised by the pain he was feeling, knowing though that it wasn't his it was his brother's. "Chris!" Mrs. Stewart cried out, fear and worry lacing her voice but Chris shook his head. "Trent. It's Trent. Mom. We have to get to him." As he spoke Chris stumbled out of the car and began to race towards the entrance to the ER.

Trent. Trent. Trent. Gotta get to Trent. It was a mantra, an unending chant running through Chris's head as he stumbled across the parking lot. His chest hurt even more now but instead of distracting him the pain made Chris even more determined to reach his brother.

Trent. Trent. Trent.

The ER doors opened and Chris stumbled through them, frantically looking around for a familiar face. A nurse ran up to him, obviously sensing his pain and distress. "It's not me." He tried to tell her, his words mixing together in his desperation and panic. She was trying to lead him to a chair when the pain in his chest suddenly stopped. Chris inhale sharply, hoping that this meant good news but knowing it didn't. The sound of a familiar voice screaming in anguish confirmed this and as soon as he heard it Chris was out of the nurses' clutches and running towards Ms. Burton's voice.

No. Trent. No. Trent. No. Trent. No. Chris felt his world collapse as he rounded the corner and came face to face with Ms. Burton, her face twisted into a look of inconsolable misery. "Ms. Burton." Chris cried out before feeling her pulling him into a tight embrace. "He's gone." She sobbed into his chest. "He's gone."

Chris felt something within him snap at these words and he pulled away, shaking his head. "No. He's not." He said, turning to face the room Trent was in. He couldn't be gone. Not yet. He still had months to live. They had all summer.

"Trent." He called out as he tried to push into the room. Several people in scrubs pushed him out but Chris wouldn't listen to them, he had to see his brother. "Trent this isn't funny." He called out, desperate for a response. He was sure that if he yelled loud enough his brother would hear him and come out to tell him to shut up. "TRENT!" Chris shouted out as he was grabbed by even more hands and forced away from the room. "No, let me see him!" He cried out, struggling to escape the people grabbing at him. "Chris. Stop. Baby." Mrs. Stewart begged her son, her hands now in the mix of hands forcing him away from his brother. "Mom please, let go I have to see him. He's okay, he's got to be." Chris begged, his voice cracking. He could feel his defenses weakening and knew, deep down, that it was too late. "Trent." Chris called out again, weaker this time, letting his mom's familiar hands guide him into the hall. He felt his knees buckle beneath him as he began to sob. "Trent, you can't do this. You can't leave us here. You can't leave me here." He cried out, struggling to get up again, wiping away tears he hadn't even known he'd been shedding. His breath was coming out in ragged ups and downs and his mind was on tunnel vision, pointed right at where Trent should be. "Trent." Chris repeated again, feeling hands grabbing at him again, pulling him back. Suddenly he felt something prick him and everything went black.

**A/N 2: So that chapter… I'll be hiding in Canada if anyone needs me… I hope you liked the chapter and please like review and all if you did! Also, I was wondering, since it's summer and I have more time to write how do you guys fee about me updating more than once a week? Just PM me or comment if you have an opinion! Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here we go! Chapter 9. This chapter is a bit longer than past ones and I feel that the chapters to come might end up going back to the original length of 25000-3000 words per chapter but I'm not too sure yet. Anyway here's chapter 9 and I hope you enjoy!**

Broken Bits of Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Warnings:

For the second time in a month Chris woke up not knowing where he was. This time though he wasn't lying in a hospital bed, he was back at home in his room, wrapped in a cocoon of blue bed sheets. For a moment the hazel eyed teen stared at the wall across from him, trying to remember how he got there and why he felt like he'd run a marathon. Then he remembered. Trent. Trent was gone. He left and he wasn't coming back. Chris closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath but his lungs felt like they were collapsing and his breathing came out staggered and painful. All Chris could think was 'why?' Why had his brother- No, he couldn't think about it, he couldn't believe that Trent would do something like this. Chris knew his brother was hurting, that he'd all but given up, but he didn't think it was this bad. He never thought Trent would…

Chris was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of his door creaking open. He looked up to see his mom standing in the doorway, exhaustion, grief, and worry etched onto the lines of her face. Chris shook his head and looked back at the wall, concentrating on a dried paint drip, hoping his mom would just leave him alone. "Chris." She said softly, moving farther into the room. "Trent…" He replied quietly, wanting to say everything and say nothing at the same time. "I know baby…" Mrs. Stewart replied as Chris felt his mattress sink slightly under her weight. He wanted to say that she didn't know, that she had no idea. "Leave me alone." Chris said quietly, still staring at the paint drip. "Chris." Mrs. Stewart replied, her voice a mixture of worry and stern anger. "Please." Chris added, this time more firmly. He didn't want to have to deal with anyone right now.

Chris listened as his mother exited the room, closing the door with a soft thud before rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling. His mind was going a mile a minute and he couldn't hold down one thought and examine it, all his thoughts were crashing and colliding and making him feel even worse than he already felt. He didn't feel anything though, not a concrete emotion at least. He felt empty and like he had a killer headache but the more he thought about it the more Chris realized that he didn't feel the emotions he though were supposed to be felt after someone close to them died. He should feel upset, angry, betrayed, something, anything, but all Chris felt was numb.

He struggled through the day, only half listening when people paid sympathy visits and offered words that were supposed to be comforting but did nothing but make Chris want to scream at everyone to leave him alone. Matt and Cam stopped by briefly but, after Chris threw a book at Cam's head, they left hurriedly, exchanging a few words with Mrs. Stewart before disappearing out the door. The day was made even worse when Ms. Burton showed up, her face red and her expression one of nothing but anguish. "He left a note." She explained softly after Mrs. Stewart had fixed her a cup of tea and sat her down on the couch. Chris felt himself float away from the conversation after this was said. He didn't want to think about any of it anymore. It wasn't until Ms. Burton turned to him and said "He wrote one for you." That Chris tuned into the conversation fully.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked warily and Ms. Burton shook her head, her entire body shaking slightly. "A letter, or something. I didn't open it." She replied, fishing through her bag and pulling out a Scooby Doo envelope. Chris swallowed as he looked at it. He remembered that envelope. He had gotten it at Halloween when he was ten. A man had been handing out envelopes with little certificates for 75% off an ice cream at Scoops and both Chris and Trent had gotten one. Chris had gotten the Scooby Doo one though and, at the time, Trent loved Scooby Doo. After almost half an hour of arguing Chris traded his Scooby Doo envelope for Trent's Buzz Lightyear one. After that neither envelope was seen again, until now. Chris nodded slowly and took the envelope from Ms. Burton's hand before looking up at his mom. "I'm going to go to my room." He declared before standing up and leaving. As soon as he reached his bedroom Chris tossed the envelope aside, not wanting to read his brother's goodbyes, he didn't think he'd be able to, he wanted to stay numb.

The numbness continued and Chris learned to deal with it, live with it. He actually thought it might have helped with dealing with everything else. If he hadn't been numb he probably would have spent the majority of his time crying in a ball, the way Ms. Burton was spending her days. The woman was a mess. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't sleep, all she ever seemed to do was cry. For a while she stayed with Chris and his mom but seeing the carbon copy of her son staring at her day after day proved to be too much and eventually Ms. Burton decided it was best for everyone if she went back to her own home. Despite moving back into her own home Mrs. Stewart made sure to visit Ms. Burton as often as she could on the days leading up to her son's funeral. "I don't like her alone in that house." She had whispered to her ex-husband late one night.

The funeral was a small one, not too fancy but just fancy enough that Trent would have scoffed at the formalness of it all. Chris felt the numbness spread as he carried the casket, trying not to think of whose body was resting on his shoulders. He thought, if he distanced himself, he wouldn't hurt as much, the clawing in his belly would stop, and it almost did. He didn't feel anything until he watched the shiny wooden coffin being lowered into the ground. Chris looked up at the people surrounding the grave site. It was mostly family with a few people Trent had known from either school or the hospital scattered throughout the small crowd. Chris wondered how Trent had known these other people. He was just about to make a mental note to ask his twin later when his brain suddenly halted and he realized, once again, that he wouldn't be able to. He'd never get to ask Trent where he met the pretty girl with the pixie haircut, or the small boy holding his mother's hand while picking his nose forlornly. He'd never get to beat Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood with him or finally learn how to longboard with him. Any ideas about the future that had once been were now gone, shattered, dead.

As Chris realized this he felt the numbness he'd created over the past few days begin to break down. All the grief and loneliness he'd been pushing aside began to seep into him and Chris did what he did best, he ran. No one tried to stop him as he pushed through the small crowd and made his way away from the burial site. He couldn't look at it any more, he couldn't watch them do bury his brother. Chris continued to run until he reached the car, yanking the door open as hard as he could Chris tried to hold himself together. He had to breathe, he had to stay calm. He couldn't stay calm though. Trent was dead. Trent had killed himself and had left him alone to deal with the aftermath. As soon as the car door was once again closed Chris lost it, screaming and crying until his throat was sore. He was sure he looked like a lunatic but he didn't care, how could he care when his twin was locked in a box being covered with dirt?

By the time Chris had settled down it was too late to go back to the rest of the group so he sat in the car and waited for his mom. "That was very stupid of you, running off like that." She stated as soon as she got into the car. Chris shook his head and looked out the window. "Do you know how much of a scene you caused? How upset you made Ms. Burton?" she added angrily as the car roared to life. "Fuck off mom." Chris exclaimed, too tired and irritated to care what he was saying. Trent was gone and things wouldn't be the same again. "Don't you dare talk to me like that Chris." Mrs. Stewart replied, her voice shaking and Chris shrugged. "I'll speak the way I want." He replied before tuning out whatever his mother had to say about his behavior.

The car ride home, and the week that followed the funeral, was silent. Mrs. Stewart spent most of her time consoling Ms. Burton and Chris spent most of his time locked away in his room, staring at the still unopened Scooby Doo envelope or drowning himself in video games. He hardly went out unless he was forced to. Everything reminded him of Trent. The park down the street, the grocery store, the old dented stop sign. Where ever Chris went Trent's memory seemed to follow. By the end of the week Chris felt lost and a bit overwhelmed. It came as both a pleasant surprise and a bit of a shock when Mr. Stewart showed up on the front doorstep late Friday evening. "Um, hey Dad, what are you doing here?" Chris asked as he let his father into the house. "Your mother and I… have to discuss a few things." He replied and Chris crossed his arms over his chest. "Like what?" he asked. It was obvious there was something his parents were hiding from him. There was a pause as Chris tried his best to stare down his dad but Mr. Stewart didn't waver, instead he turned to look around the house. "Where is Maddie?" Mr. Stewart asked as he turned back to his son. "She's in the kitchen…" Chris replied, suddenly feeling irritated. What was going on?

Chris watched as his dad made his way into the kitchen and followed suit a moment later. "Chris, go to your room." His mother barked out as soon as he entered the kitchen. Without another word Chris threw up his hands, turned on his heels, and made his way out of the kitchen and down to his room. He wanted to know what was happening but he knew that his mom and dad would be more than angry if they caught him eavesdropping. As he waited for his parents to be done discussing whatever it was they were discussing Chris studied his room. It had gotten messier over the past week or so, tidiness having been neglected along with many other basic chores. An empty cereal box lay against the far wall, a worn t-shirt was crumpled up on the window sill where it had been tossed after use, cables and game controllers covered the floor. Briefly Chris wondered if he should clean but pushed the idea aside once he lay eyes on the Scooby Doo envelope. Chris had been battling himself over if it should be opened ever since Ms. Burton had handed it to him. He wanted to know more than anything what Trent had written but opening it felt wrong. Opening the letter and reading what was written would mean that there was nothing left of Trent. Those words would be the last words Chris would ever receive from his twin and he wanted to keep them safe and sacred.

Chris continued to stare at the envelope sitting on his dresser until he heard footsteps on the stairs. "Chris?" His mom called out and Chis stood up off the bed and opened his door. "Are you guys ready to tell me what's going on?" He asked, wincing inwardly at how harsh he sounded. "Yes, come on upstairs." She replied, sounding defeated. Chris nodded and wordlessly followed his mom up the stairs and to the dining room table. The atmosphere in the room felt tense and Chris was immediately reminded of the "vanessa-vention" his family had organized only months ago. "Chris, are you alright?" Mr. Stewart asked, pulling Chris out of his thoughts. "Y-yeah." He stammered, pulling a chair out and sitting in it. "I just got distracted…" He explained looking between his parents. "So what's going on?" He asked, hoping the news wouldn't be as bad as the last time they had sat at the table together. It was when they had announced to Chris that they would be divorcing and Chris had thought his whole world was going to collapse.

"Your father and I have been talking…" Mrs. Stewart started, glancing between her son and her ex-husband nervously. "And we think it would be best if you moved in with him for a while." There was silence at the table as Chris let this information sink in. "Move in? With you and Daisy?" Chris asked, looking at his dad in disbelief. "Well, yes but there's more to it than that…" Mr. Stewart began, looking over at his ex-wife as if hoping she'd pick up the explanation. When she did not Mr. Stewart sighed and looked over at Chris. "We're moving to Paris." He added, his voice slow and deliberate. "Really? That's so cool!" Chris exclaimed, suddenly liking the idea of moving away from his hometown. "Really?" Mr. Stewart asked and Chris nodded before looking over at his mom. "I mean… if mom…" Mrs. Stewart shook her head with a small smile. "I was the one with the idea Chris. I just want you to be happy and I know this isn't the place for you right now, okay?" she said and Chris nodded. "So how is this happening?" He asked and Mr. Stewart smiled. "Well we'll start packing and after the wedding you, me, and Daisy will be flying to France. How does that sound?" Chris smiled for the first time in what felt like ages before nodding. "Sounds like a great idea." He replied and his parents smiled. "Well then, start packing." His mom said, a smile playing at her lips. "You're headed to Paris."

**A/N 2: And Chris is officially headed to Paris! I think you're all starting to guess what'll happen there. I hope you enjoyed this (or sobbed the way I wanted to while writing it) and if you did leave a comment or favorite/follow! I won't be updating more than once a week considering the rate I'm going but we'll see... Until next time! \ii/**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here's chapter 10! I'm sorry it's late, July is turning out to be much busier than I expected it to be. It's a bit on the short side but I figured now that I don't really have set lengths each of my chapters should be. They just end up the way they want to be. Like plants but with words. **

Broken Bits of Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Warnings: Panic attack

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The priest declared as the small church irrupted with claps and cheers. Chris watched from the side as his father swooped in and planted a kiss on his new wife's lips. Part of him felt sad that this was happening, it meant that his old life, the life with his mom and his dad and him being one family, was gone but at the same time he was happy, happy that his dad was happy. Ever since his parents had pitched the idea of him moving in with his dad Chris had been spending more time getting to know his soon to be step-mom and re-learning what his dad was like. It certainly was a weird experience. After years of awkward conversations and hardly any contact Mr. Stewart was suddenly part of Chris's life again but he couldn't complain. He liked having his dad back and liked that he seemed happy with Daisy, the love they shared was obvious even to the most oblivious person.

The whole process of packing his belongings and getting ready to move was tiring but it kept Chris busy and stopped him from sitting around and thinking about Trent. By the time Mr. Stewart's wedding arrived Chris was almost happy feeling. The numbness was still there, protecting the brunette from the worst of the pain but he could smile without feeling too guilty and could block out any thoughts he might have of his brother or Vanessa. Chris watched as his father led a beaming Daisy down the aisle and towards the double doors, smiling as Daisy said something and his dad laughed. It was obvious the two were deeply in love and, despite everything that had happened, Chris was a lover of love and was ecstatic to watch his dad's eyes as they lit up.

Soon the ceremony was over and Chris followed the crowd to the reception, mixing and mingling when he had to but mostly staying to himself. He hardly knew anyone there, it was mostly just Daisy and his dad's friends and their families. Cam was supposed to come with Chris but he'd gotten sick and had to bail, leaving Chris alone and feeling a little bit like a fish out of water. Despite feeling out of the circle the reception and dinner after the wedding was beautiful. Chris danced with a couple other teenage attendees, chatted with a great many people, and genuinely had a good time. "He's a very well behaved young man." He heard someone whisper to his dad. By the end of the night though Chris was completely worn out, hitching a ride with one of Daisy's relatives, some blonde girl a year older than him named Quinn, back to his house.

Much to Chris' disappointment the day after the wedding was full of packing and organizing. He'd wanted a day or two to relax but that wouldn't be the case. Paris would not only be a new home but it was also doubling as his dad and step-mom's honey moon location. They'd get things settled in their home and leave Chris alone for a week or so while they explored the city and made some day trips to other cities and sites. It was odd to Chris, the feeling and knowledge that he would soon be leaving not only his hometown behind but also his home country. He knew French, at least kind of, so he was perfectly prepared but, as the day of the flight neared, he couldn't help but feel nervous. What if he didn't fit in, if he had a horrible time? Chris constantly had to shake his head to clear his thoughts and try to remain calm. He could do this, it was the perfect chance to start over. It was a chance to escape Vanessa and Trent and everything else back home.

Chris boarded the plane to France with this thought, this hope, in mind, and at first it seemed like things would be fine. The first few days in Paris were breathtaking and Chris couldn't wait to take in the sights and see everything he could. Once he was done unpacking his things and getting settled in he would spend hours at a time roaming the large city, exploring the nooks, crannies, and secret alleyways. It felt like everything was a dream and, in a way it was. Just like all dreams Chris had to wake up from this one and six days into his stay in Paris he did.

It started off with a nightmare about Vanessa. They were normal back in Fairview but Chris had hoped that once he moved he'd be able to leave them behind. _Obviously not_. He thought to himself as he turned over on his mattress and tried to get back to sleep. He couldn't though, try as he might and in the end Chris got up out of bed and began to explore the half-awake city. It was sunrise and people were out and about but it was nowhere near as crowded as it usually was. The morning silence felt nice to Chris as he made his way through streets towards a bakery he'd come to enjoy. Suddenly though a shout rang out and Chris felt himself be dragged back into the past, to the day he'd been beaten. He could hear them screaming and feel their hits as if it were happening all over again. Before Chris knew it he leaning against a building, gasping for breath, trying not to cry. He had to get back to the bakery, the bakery would be safe.

Half stumbling and half walking Chris made his way quickly down the street, trying to ignore any and all odd looks sent his way. At some point someone asked him something in French but Chris was too scared and overwhelmed to pay attention, answer, or even translate. He must have looked horrible walking into the cafe the way he did, shaking and constantly looking behind him. Quietly Chris glanced behind himself one last time before slipping into the short line at the counter. Breathe. He kept thinking to himself. Stop being a baby. You're fine. Chris felt himself deflate slightly as he thought of how he'd acted. It was just a shout. No one had been after him and no one was mad at him. He was fine and shouldn't have acted the way he did. Idiot. He thought as the person in front of him moved.

Chris said his order without paying much attention to it, he was too busy thinking of how he'd acted. The person who had run was the old Chris, not the new one. The new Chris, the Paris Chris had to man up, be adventurous, but how? As Chris wondered this his eyes fell on the shelf of cognacs above the counter. "Add Courvoisier to my coffee please." Chris blurted out in his choppy French before he could stop himself. Two voices began to battle in his head as Chris registered what he'd said. _No, look what happened last time you drank!_ One voice cried out._ It'll be fine, there was pcp in that. This will hardly be anything anyway. _The other voice retorted. Chris watched, feeling sick to his stomach, as the barista prepare his coffee and gave him his croissant. "Merci." He said shortly before moving to a table. What was he doing? Alcohol had done nothing but harm in his life but here he was, ordering cognac in his coffee. _This is new Chris though, he can handle it._ A voice whispered in Chris's mind and, with a deep breath, Chris picked up the coffee and took a sip.

It actually didn't taste all that bad. Chris had always associated alcohol with bitterness and unpleasantness but this was something different. The Courvoisier blended with the coffee in a way that made them balance out beautifully. I sound like the rat from that Disney movie. Chris thought to himself as he continued to drink the cognac spiked coffee and eat his pastry. What was it called? Ratatouille? Yeah, that was it. It was about Remy the mouse and how he loved cooking. Chris frowned slightly as he continued to think about the movie. He'd only ever seen it once. He had gone to visit Trent after a particularly rough session of chemo and they'd popped it into the dvd player. Chris hadn't paid much attention to it after Trent had started vomiting half way through.

Chris felt his heart clench as he thought of Trent. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed again and wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cry. Feeling tears prick at his eyes Chris quickly got up, downed the rest of his coffee, and rushed to the bathroom. Once there he leaned against the sink and took deep breaths, trying not to think of Trent or what had happened to him. "Stop." He whispered to himself as he turned to look in the mirror. The sight that met his eyes made Chris cringe. The person staring back at him wasn't new Chris at all. It was old, scared, Fairview Chris. The Chris that should have been left behind. _You need to do better_. A voice hissed and Chris nodded, wiping unshed tears away as he did so. He realized now it wouldn't be enough to just say he wanted to change. He actually had to change. And not just his location or something like that, no, Chris had to change more than that. He couldn't be Chris anymore. He had to be someone new, someone confident, and someone who didn't live through Vanessa or Trent.

Chris grinned at his reflection as he thought this, an idea already forming in his head. He left the bathroom, and the cafe, a different person than he had walked in as. Scared, pathetic Chris was gone and a new, better person was taking over. This person would be confident, smooth, smart, and able to do what he wanted. Now all that was left was a name. _Sebastian has a nice ring to it..._ Chris thought with a smile as he made his way back home.

**A/N 2: Alright, chapter 10 = complete! I hope you liked it. Comment and all if you did (and even if you didn't I guess). Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N 1- Yikes! Late update, I'm sorry! As I said before July is getting busy and updates will be slow. Thank you to everyone for their follows, comments, and for reading so I now present to you chapter 11! **

Bits of Broken Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Disclaimer: (which I forgot in past chapters) I don't own Sebastian Smythe, Chris Stewart, Glee, or A Mother's Nightmare. They belong to Fox and Lifetime respectively.

Warnings: Drug and alcohol use, mentions of sex (non graphic)

Chris smiled slightly as he looked down at the notebook he was writing in, admiring his penmanship. Written over and over again in front of him, over pages and pages of lined paper, was one word. Sebastian. The more he looked at the word the more Chris liked it. It made him feel free, powerful, better. It made him feel like he could live again. Chris was peering down at the page, wanting to figure out every way to perfect the signature he would soon begin to use, when Daisy called out from downstairs. "Time for dinner!" Chris sighed as he stood up and closed his notebook, not wanting to move out of the comfort of his room into the main house area. He wasn't looking forward to interacting with his family and as he suspected dinner was silent except for the sound of clinking glasses and silverware, it had been that way ever since Chris had come home and declared that he wanted to be called Sebastian. It wasn't the comfortable kind of silence either it was the kind that only existed when there was an elephant in the room. Chris didn't look up from his food as he ate but he could feel both Dasiy's and his father's eyes baring into him, trying to see into his brain. He knew that his father would break soon and wondered just how long it would take for Mr. Stewart to start shouting or confronting his son.

Sure enough, not a moment later, the silence was broken by the sound of hands being slammed onto a table. "Why Chris? Why would you do that?" Mr. Stewart asked, his voice mixed with anger and confusion. "What? Change my name? Because I can." Chris said honestly, choosing to use the truth to mix up an excuse instead of making up a new lie. "Because you can? Bullshit." Mr. Stewart retorted and Chris shook his head. "I needed a change. Sebastian just seemed like a good change." Chris said with a shrug, looking up at his father's face. "Wasn't Paris enough of a change?" Mr. Stewart asked and Chris shrugged. He thought it had been but it wasn't, everything still reminded him of home, of Trent, of Vanessa, of everything that happened. He couldn't admit that to his dad though, something held him back. "I just wanted more of a change." Chris said, suddenly wanting to escape. He could feel his father's disappointment oozing out of him and wanted not to know it was there. Chris let Sebastian take over just as Mr. Stewart sighed. "Fine. I'll let you do whatever…. Thing you decided to do, I'll try to go along with this but why Sebastian?"

Sebastian shrugged once more. "It was Trent's confirmation name." He said simply, surprised that saying his former twin's name didn't hurt. Whenever he let his Chris mindset take over just thinking Trent's name made his stomach feel like it was twisting in knots but now there was nothing, not even the slightest hint of grief. The thought that he could turn his emotions off like that both scared and relieved him. The fact that he could separate himself from his memories and feelings towards his brother made him like the idea of Sebastian even more. "Ahh. I see." Mr. Stewart said calmly, shifting slightly in his seat. It was obvious to Sebastian that neither his father nor his step-mother knew how to handle what had happened. Whenever Trent was brought up they became quiet, careful, acting as if Chris would shatter at any moment. They didn't know though that Chris wasn't Chris anymore. H was Sebastian and he would not break.

The room became silent again, as if a thick blanket of awkward had been tossed over the table, and Sebastian finished his meal without looking up once. He ate quickly and, before his father could react, was up out of his seat. "I'm going out." He declared as he made his way to the door. There was no reply and Sebastian felt a twinge of something that felt almost like sadness. He was sure that as soon as he had left the room his father and Daisy had begun to have a silent conversation. Soon enough they would start whispering and playing with each other's feet under the table. They were still in the honeymoon stage and it seemed to Sebastian like they didn't even recognize he was there unless he was sitting right in front of him. Sometimes if felt like his dad had left ages ago and the person living in this house was someone different.

Sebastian shook his head as he pulled on a pair of shoes and made his way out the door. It was almost dark out and the sun was giving off a sleepy yellow glow as Sebastian began to walk down the street, towards the more central area of Paris. As Sebastian walked he could hear children crying, people talking, and the rush of the city as night fell. Usually this scene, the sights and sounds of Paris getting ready to fall asleep, comforted Sebastian but tonight he couldn't relax the way he had in the past. His mind was too busy running a mile a minute. Once he had mentioned Trent to his father something in his mind had shifted and that was all he could think about. Trent, Vanessa, and life back in Grandview. Sebastian hated it, he could feel Chris slipping back into power and couldn't push him away no matter how hard he tried.

So he began to run. Back when he was Chris, before Vanessa waltzed in, Sebastian used to run all the time. Whenever something was going on with Trent, his parents, or school Chris would just run. Anywhere and everywhere. So that's what Sebastian did. He didn't care where he was going he just let his feet move him through streets and around corners. By the time his legs were burning Sebastian had traveled into an area of Paris that he wasn't familiar with. He could hear music coming from inside a building and as Sebastian continued to walk he realized it was coming from a club. It was on the smaller side, with bright pink lights illuminating the doors and windows. Sebastian stopped as he neared the club, feeling drawn to it but at the same time feeling wary of the small building. He watched as a few people wandered into the building, wondering if he should go inside with them.

Suddenly a voice spoke from behind Sebastian and the brunette turned around in surprise, is eyes immediately settling on a dark haired man. The man laughed and repeated whatever he was saying, looking at Sebastian with curiosity, concern, and something more. Sebastian's eyes widened as the man spoke, trying his best to piece together the French words that he hardly knew. The man had to repeat what he was saying again before Sebastian understood that he was asking if Sebastian was lost. "No, I don't think so." He replied as best he could. While he was what Americans believed to be fluent in French he was not what the French considered fluent. The man laughed. "Are you new to Paris?" he asked in English and Sebastian nodded, a little relieved that there would be no language barrier. "A bit." He admitted and the man smiled. "Follow me." He said as he grabbed Sebastian's hand and led him into the club. Sebastian nodded but the man couldn't see him, too busy leading him through the dark doors and into the loud, crowded, and brightly lit club.

As soon as Sebastian walked through the doors and took in the crowd he realized that this was no ordinary club. If the two men making out across the room was any hint it seemed like the club was targeting the gay crowd. Once Sebastian realized where exactly he was he wanted to let go of the man's hand and run out the door but before he could the man turned to look at him and smiled. "Where are you from?" The man asked and Sebastian frowned. "Far away." He replied, not wanting to think about Grandview anymore. "You sound American." The man commented and Sebastian nodded warily, knowing that most of the world's view of America was less than great. "Do not look so scared, I've always wanted to go to the States." The man replied, his blue eyes lighting up as he smiled. "It's not as great as Paris though." Sebastian replied.

The man laughed and shook his head before changing the subject. It was clear as he spoke that the man was flirting with Sebastian and the younger man didn't really know how to react. He'd never had a problem with people who were gay but he'd never considered himself gay. Of course he'd never really considered himself anything. Sexuality had never been something that Sebastian had questioned. For a while it had been something that Trent was concerned about but never something Sebastian had ever fretted over. Sebastian lost himself in his thoughts and was once again back to thinking about Trent, Vanessa, and his old self. "What's wrong?" The man next to him asked, moving closer to Sebastian as he drew him out of his mind. "Nothing." He replied and the man raised an eyebrow before smiling again. "Come, let's clear that pretty head of yours." The man suddenly said, pulling Sebastian out to the dance floor.

Sebastian wanted to pull away, say dancing wasn't really his thing but he stopped himself before he could. That was something Chris would say. He couldn't be Chris anymore. Sebastian followed the man, drinking and dancing, feeling his head become fuzzy as the night wore on. He knew he shouldn't be drinking, the last time he'd gotten drunk it had ended with disaster, but he wanted to forget and wanted to have fun. All the things that had happened had happened to Chris not to Sebastian. Sebastian could handle himself, he could handle the drinks, the clubs, and the attractive man grinding against him. Before he knew it the dark haired brunette was wrapped around him, kissing his neck and making him writhe. It felt good in a way that Vanessa had never been able to achieve and Sebastian begged for more. The man smirked and pulled away, causing Sebastian to gasp at the sudden lack of body contact, and began to pull Sebastian towards the bathroom. "Clothes. Off." The man managed as he pushed Sebastian through the bathroom door and pinned him against a stall.

The rest of the time in the bathroom was a blur of undressing and exploring each other's bodies. The darker brunette was beautiful to begin with and even more so without any clothes on. He was lean and muscular but at the same time looked thin and small in a gracefully awkward way. He guided Sebastian through the lovemaking, whispering words of comfort and reassurance as he went. At first it was painful, causing Sebastian to gasp, but soon enough it became something unexplainably amazing. It was better than any sex he'd ever had with Vanessa, it felt passionate, energized, and right. At the same time though something felt off, almost numb. Sebastian immediately blamed this numbness on Vanessa and what she'd done. If he kept going, he thought, maybe the feeling it would go away.

Later on Sebastian wouldn't remember much of the night. He wouldn't remember the club he went to, the name of the man he slept with, or even how he got back home but he would always remember how it felt to make love that night. The ecstasy he felt made him forget about home and made him feel better than he'd felt in what felt like ages. Sex with Vanessa had always been her controlling him, showing her dominance over him. Sex with the man had felt more like they were equals, working off of each other to create something wonderful. Sebastian had enjoyed it and wanted more, wanted to feel that equality and love again.

Life in Paris continued on after that night and Sebastian spent his free days wandering the streets as always but this time he wandered looking for that small club, wondering where it had been and who the man had been. There was no luck and Sebastian lost hope that he'd find either the club or the man. He wanted to look it up but knew that his dad would somehow find out and how was he supposed to explain why he was google searching for gay clubs in Paris? That wasn't a conversation Sebastian wanted to have with his dad, not now and not ever. Sebastian was curious though. He'd never labeled himself before but now the idea of a label on his sexuality sounded great. He wanted to know what he was, to not be the questioning, unsure person Chris had been. He couldn't be Chris even if that meant being placed in a box. At least he would know who he was.

Luck seemed to be on Sebastian's side after he came to the conclusion that he needed to figure out who he was. Less than a week after the epiphany Paris's main streets were decorated with rainbow colored flags and the annual pride parade rolled through. An entire weekend was devoted to celebrating gay pride and Sebastian basked in the glow of the confidence and pride that the people watching and in the parade seemed to have. Each night the LGBT area of Paris, which Sebastian had discovered on the first night after following a tourist, was lit up and alive. Each night Sebastian found someone to sleep with and with each new person Sebastian's idea of a label, of a box, became clearer. By the end of the weekend Sebastian was sore and tired but happy. It was the happiest he had felt since Trent's death and Sebastian went to sleep every night glad that he was Sebastian now.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N 1- I'd give excuses about why I haven't updated in ages but they're just that excuses. I guess I could say that because of the lack of schedule over the summer I become a potato slug but really, I should have stayed focused so I'm sorry for that. Thank you for sticking with me. Also a bit of a fun fact I have never been to Paris, cannot speak French, and probably all of the scenes in Paris are completely wrong and full of errors so please forgive me.

Bits of Broken Glass

Author: Booknookgurl

Rated: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Sebastian Smythe, Chris Stewart, Glee, or A Mother's Nightmare. They belong to Fox and Lifetime respectively.

Warnings: Drug and alcohol use, mentions of sex

Sebastian couldn't help but giggle as he walked through the door of his dad's house. He was supposed to be sneaking but he couldn't remember why anymore. All he knew was that the silence in the house was too damn disturbing. He hated it and, while he could hear Paris's nightlife off in the distance the silence was still too loud. The silence left space in Sebastian's head, space that he could fill with thoughts and the thing was Sebastian didn't want to think. Weeks ago he had realized that thinking only made things worse, it was easier just to stop, to numb himself. At the time he hadn't known how to stop thinking but soon it had become obvious. Clubbing, getting lost in Paris's nightlife, made Sebastian forget everything and, if he was lucky, he would crawl back home at the end of the night and continue to forget until he woke up the next morning.

Then everything would come back and hit him like a ton of bricks. He would be flooded with the memories of Trent, Vanessa, and his life as Chris all at once. With the memories came guilt too. He wasn't supposed to be getting high and drunk and sleeping around. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't do that, do something that hindered his better judgment. It was worth it though for the nights of numb bliss. It was worth the pain he felt because Sebastian could just go out again later and drink and dance the pain away. He'd always heard people say that the high one got from doing drugs and drinking was temporary but now, after almost a month and a half of drowning his fear with alcohol, he knew that was a lie. It wasn't the high that was temporary, it was the hurt that was.

For weeks he'd been spending the sun lit hours in Paris walking around the city, going to markets, book shops, cafes, where that caught his eye, chatting to the locals and the tourists alike. He had spent eight days holed up in Shakespeare and Co. book store on the Left Bank, pouring over books and letting the familiarity of the English writers wash over him as Walt Whitman's descendants watched over him, sometimes offering him food or advice. After that he spent four days wandering through the markets, marveling at the mix of Parisians and tourists. Paris was a city of love and art and Sebastian was determined to see as much love and art as he could, sneaking off to the artist squats when his family wasn't looking. He loved the bohemian nature of so many of these people and, when speaking to them, began to feel a little bit of Chris sneak into Sebastian.

Then night would fall and the good parts of Chris that had seeped into Sebastian during the day would turn foul. Flashbacks and memories would resurface so, after his father and Daisy had gone to bed he would sneak out to the bars and make himself forget. Every night Chris would die, drown in alcohol, sex, and drugs, and each night Sebastian felt Chris disappear and hoped that this would be the night he left for good. He would find the most tourist-y bars he could and loose himself in them because there it was okay to be piss drunk. He'd learned that drunk wasn't a French thing and had learned how to keep himself at least mostly put together until he walked through the front doors of his hous.

Sebastian shook his head clumsily as he started to make his way towards the stairs and up to his room. He'd gone all out tonight, drinking to excess and, from what he could remember, giving at least two different people blow jobs before getting something in return. Everything was spinning and he was sure that he'd be paying for his excess in the morning but he didn't really have the energy to care. He had to focus on getting upstairs. If he got up to his room he would be fine and his dad would never have to know that he'd left the house. Just as he thought this though a calm yet stern voice spoke from behind him. "Chris, care to tell me where you were?"

Sebastian froze as his step mother's voice filtered through his muddled thoughts and processed in his head. Slowly he turned around to face the young blonde woman. "Firs' of all." Sebastian started, slurring his words slightly as he spoke. "'m not Chris. 'm Sebastian. Second none of your business." He snapped, wanting nothing more than to go up to his room and sleep. He didn't want to have to deal with this right now. "No. No matter what your father is letting you say your name is Chris so I will call you such. And yes, it is my business. It's very much my business when my son sneaks home at three forty-five in the morning." She replied, her voice rising in volume. "Oh shut up. You're not my mom, you can't say any of that shit to me." Sebastian yelled back, hearing footsteps on the stairs as he did so.

"Sebastian. Stop shouting. Go to your room." Mr. Stewart said sharply, suddenly appearing right in front of Sebastian. "Honey." Daisy replied, sounding unsure of this idea. "No, Day, even if we yell at him now he's not going to remember any of it. Lets all just get some sleep. We'll talk about this when it's not the middle of the god forsaken night." Mr. Stewart replied and Daisy shook her head, grumbling to herself as she shuffled back up the stairs. By now Sebastian was starting to feel a bit more sober and knew that the next morning would definitely be a bad one. "Dad…" He said quietly, staring at his dad in the dark. "I thought you knew better than this." Mr. Stewart replied with a sad shake of the head. "Dad!" Sebastian repeated, this time more pleadingly but Mr. Stewart just shook his head again before heading back up the stairs, leaving Sebastian alone in the dark.

Sebastian sighed, biting back tears as he watched his father walk away. He'd screwed up and he knew it. He'd always been angry at his father for choosing alcohol over his family in the past and now he was doing exactly the same thing. Sebastian would like to believe that this was just pay back, that his dad deserved to know how it felt, but he knew this wasn't true because no one should feel the way Chris had felt as a kid. After what felt like hours of standing in the dark Sebastian slowly made his way up the stairs. While his mind felt sober his body definitely wasn't and the effort it took to climb the stairs made Sebastian's head spin and stomach lurch. He only just made it to the bathroom before his stomach decided to expel its contents. Usually this part happened earlier, before Sebastian had gone home but now he had to sit on the floor, head in the toilet, knowing that his dad could hear every sound. He fell asleep that night feeling like a failure on the bathroom floor.

The next morning Sebastian woke up to the sound of someone gasping. "Jesus Christ Chris." The voice said and Sebastian sighed, of course it was Daisy. "Get cleaned up. You're wanted down stairs." She said, tossing at towel at him before slamming the door shut. "Bitch." Sebastian muttered under his breath as he stood up on wobbly feet. Was it really necessary for her to slam the door? His head was pounding and the room was still spinning slightly. This was definitely going to be the mother of all hangovers. "I don't hear any movement in there Chris. Get going!" Daisy called out from behind the door, her voice sounding like nails on a chalk board to Sebastian. "Shut up, I'm going okay?" He called back before turning the shower on and stepping into the spray, not caring if the water felt like it had just been transported from the tundra in the North Pole.

By the time Sebastian had finished showering, got dressed, and came down stairs his dad and Daisy were both sitting at the dining room table, empty cereal bowls sitting in front of them. "Sit down." Mr. Stewart commanded as Sebastian walked cautiously into the room. Without a word Sebastian did as he was told, feeling nerves and fear bubble up in his stomach. "We need to talk." Mr. Stewart continued and Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Really? Here I was thinking that we were sitting here to plan a flash mob." He replied, making his dad sigh. "Sebastian this is serious." He replied, slamming is hand on the table. "You've been drinking, sneaking out every night and doing god knows what. Don't try to deny it." Sebastian closed his mouth. "It's been happening for weeks. At first I just let you do it because you're a teenager you're supposed to do these things but it's gone too far. You're starting school soon, what will happen then? This can't keep going on. There need to be consequences." Mr. Smythe sighed as he finished, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes.

"What do you mean by consequences?" Sebastian asked warily, glancing from his dad to Daisy, who looked like she was trying not to smirk. He should have known she was an evil witch. "It means we're sending you back to the states." Daisy said, sounding a lot more like an annoying older sister than a supposed parent. Sebastian was about to comment on that when her actual words sunk in, making him freeze. "Excuse me?" He asked, looking at his dad in shock. "She's got to be lying. Dad, she's lying right?" Mr. Stewart just shook his head though. "She's telling the truth. Chris. Sebastian. This behavior needs to stop so we've called your mother and-" "You what?" Chris interrupted angrily. His mom didn't need to be dragged into this. He'd already dragged her through so much and she didn't need to worry about him more than she was. "We called your mother and she agreed that it was best for you to go back to America." Mr. Stewart continued and Sebastian paled. He couldn't go back to Grandview, back to his old life. He didn't fit there anymore.

"You aren't going back to Grandview." Mr. Stewart said quickly, reading the look on Sebastian's face. "You'll be going to live with your aunt Paulina in Ohio." For a moment Sebastian felt himself relax as he realized he wouldn't be going back home. It then sunk in where he would be going. "Ohio? Isn't that pretty much bumblefuck USA?" He asked. He couldn't go to live in some crappy rural area where the closest neighbors were cows. "Watch your language and no. Your aunt lives in Westerville, right outside of Columbus. You leave in two days." Daisy said and Sebastian glared at her. "I wasn't asking you Daisy." He replied scathingly and Mr. Stewart shook his head. "This is exactly the behavior I was talking about. Chris would never do this. Where did he go?" Sebastian shook his head, suddenly feeling both angry and sad. Part of him, the Chris part, wanted to tell his dad that Chris never left, that he was still there. Sebastian was too strong to let Chris resurface though and instead he just scoffed. "Didn't you hear?" He asked. "Chris died a while ago." With that Sebastian stood up, pushing his chair away from the table and leaving the room.

a/n 2: So yep, Chris/Sebastian is headed to Ohio and I'm sure you can all see where the story is headed now. As always comment, favorite, subscribe if you like this story and thanks for reading!


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